As Nigerian footballer John Obi Mikel prepared to take the field for The World Cup on June 26, it was hard to focus on the collective goal of athletic victory. His father had just gone missing.

Mikel said he received a call from kidnappers demanding 10 million naira ($28,000) for Pa Michael Obi's release four hours before the game. He said the criminals claimed they would shoot Obi “instantly” if he alerted the authorities.

The 31-year-old decided to play without telling his bosses or anyone else about the situation.

"I was confused. I did not know what to do, but in the end I knew that I could not let 180 million Nigerians down," Mikel told KweseESPN. "I had to shut it out of my head and go and represent my country first.” Nigeria lost the game 2-1 against Argentina and were eliminated from the tournament.

Obi was rescued by police about a week after he was snatched.

"In the process of the rescue, a gun duel ensued between police operatives and the kidnappers which forced the hoodlums to abandon their victims inside the forest and they were promptly rescued," Enugu State Police Command representative Ebere Amaraizu said in a statement of the release of the athlete's father and others.

Our men have rescued Pa Michael Obi, the father of the Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi.
He was kidnapped along Markurdi – Enugu expressway but we rescued him today 2nd July, 2018 around 14:00hrs at Egede in Udi LGA of Enugu State.

He is hale and hearty.

— EnuguStatePolice (@PoliceNG_Enugu) July 2, 2018

According to sources close to the family, Obi was tortured during his captivity and had to receive stitches. Some of the stitches came undone, and Mikel is considering flying his dad abroad for more treatment.

This isn’t the first time Obi has been kidnapped. In 2011, he was kidnapped and held for 10 days. Mikel’s advisor said the family would receive enhanced security detail.

"For the second time I've had to live with the fears of losing my father, and it is very scary," Mikel told BBC Sport. "Today,it's my dad, but tomorrow it could be someone else which makes it very scary."

John Obi Mikel

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