Amid the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has unveiled his all-time African XI for the Premier League. Surprising omissions include Nwankwo Kanu and Riyad Mahrez. Notably, the list does not feature Mikel himself. The retired footballer shared the lineup on his podcast, The Obi One, and also on his Instagram account. The lineup, structured in a 4-2-1-3 formation, includes Édouard Mendy in goal, Celestine Babayaro (LB), Kolo Toure (CB), Lucas Radebe (CB), Lauren (RB), Michael Essien (CM), Yaya Toure (CM), Jay-Jay Okocha (CAM), Mohamed Salah (RW), Didier Drogba (CF), and Sadio Mane (LW).
