Bleacher Report · Aug 2, 2016
John Obi Mikel Legally Changes His Name After Nigerian FA Mistake
John Michael Nchekwube Obinna has been a Chelsea midfielder for the last 10 years, although you’ll know him as John Obi Mikel. But the Nigerian has officially changed his name, 13 years on from when he began to be known by his long-term moniker.
As reported by the London Evening Standard, the Nigerian FA made an error when submitting Mikel for the 2003 FIFA Under-17 World Championship, naming him as “Mikel” instead of “Michael.” The video from the same source explains how the error occurred:
And now, after going by either “Mikel John Obi” or “John Obi Mikel” during his Chelsea days, the Nigeria midfielder has finally had his name changed to the former.