I eat it once a month - Mikel Obi drops controversial take on Nigerian 'swallow'

Former Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi has stirred up social media with his surprising comment on one of Nigeria’s most beloved dishes, swallow.

In a podcast appearance, the ex-Chelsea midfielder revealed that he rarely eats traditional Nigerian swallows like pounded yam, eba, amala, or fufu, staples widely enjoyed across the country.

Instead, Mikel admitted, “Pounded Yam is so heavy, i eat it once a month, it takes me about two to three days before it digests. Maybe sometimes not at all. I don’t know how people eat it every day."

However, in 2019, Mikel Obi mentioned that he prefers Chinese food to the Nigerian dish, Eba.

“To be honest, I don’t eat eba as much. I think for the last five or six years, I eat more Chinese food than eba," Mikel said via the Nation.

Mikel's preference for lighter, Western-style meals, likely influenced by his European career, may reflect a growing trend among athletes and professionals prioritising fitness.

John Obi Mikel began his career with Plateau United and Lyn before a controversial 2006 transfer to Chelsea.

Mikel spent 11 years at Chelsea, winning two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, and the 2011–12 Champions League.

He later played for Tianjin TEDA, Middlesbrough, Trabzonspor, Stoke City, and Kuwait SC.

A Nigerian international between 2005 and 2019, he earned 91 caps, scored six goals, and featured in five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments (winning in 2013), two World Cups, and the 2016 Olympics, where he won a bronze medal.