Nigeria football captain knew father had been kidnapped

Nigerian captain John Mikel Obi faced Argentina in last Tuesday's World Cup match knowing that his father was being held for ransom. However, he did not tell anyone about it as the kidnappers threatened to kill him if the authorities were informed. Obi told ESPN that he received a call from the kidnappers four hours before kickoff in the decisive World Cup clash in St Petersburg, and they demanded $28 000 for the safe return of his father, Pa Michael Obi. The elder Obi was on his way to a funeral in south-eastern Nigeria from Jos when he was abducted along the Makurdi-Enugu expressway. He and his driver were rescued by police after a shootout on 2 July, nearly a week after the kidnapping. Obi said 'I had to shut it out of my head and go and represent my country first'.