By Mazhun Idris
In a glowing tribute to one of its finest former recruits, the English Premier League (EPL) side, Chelsea's website describes the Nigerian legend, John Mikel Obi as someone "renowned for saving his best performances for the big occasion".
True to his reputation as a big-match performer, the once-peerless defensive midfielder is now delivering off the pitch, with the Obi One Podcast — a series of tête-à-têtes on all things football, which has hit the sweet spot with fans.
On the evening of December 18, the football world was buzzing about an episode of the Obi One Podcast featuring Jose Mourinho, the Portuguese tactician and the current manager of the Italian side AS Roma.
Mourinho, whom the media call the "Special One", took a savage shot at many EPL clubs. He lashed out at Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester United, two of which he had once managed.
Obi, who retired from football in September 2022, had enough backstories and inside scoops on Europe's top leagues to ensure the conversation with Mourinho was never short of steam.
The episode appeared to mark Obi's coming of age as a podcaster, weeks after making his debut with the weekly Obi One Podcast on October 30.
It probably isn't a coincidence that the show's catchy name is similar to "Obi-Wan Kenobi", the famed fictional protagonist of the Star Wars movie franchise.
For Obi, who co-hosts the podcast alongside the renowned British sports guru Chris McHardy, the objective is to produce engaging conversations with football stars, managers, and other stakeholders of the great game.
Stirring conversations
Besides football, the show unveils dressing-room secrets and other untold stories. Since its October launch, the podcast has had seven episodes with two bonus ones, which have garnered engagement from an audience running into millions.
The podcast episodes are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, YouTube, and several other syndication sites. The duration of each episode ranges from just below an hour to up to 120 minutes.
In the first episode, Obi hosted his former Chelsea teammate John Terry, who also captained England. The second one had another Chelsea legend and erstwhile England skipper, Frank Lampard.
Subsequent podcast editions have featured African Footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen, former French winger Florent Malouda, and former Italian forward Gianfranco Zola. Besides Mourinho, the other club manager in conversation with Obi was Roberto Di Matteo.
Colourful reviews
After seven episodes and two bonus shows, reviewers have been generally impressed with the Obi One Podcast. According to some, it has the potential to be counted among the more successful ones, such as ESPN FC, Football Ramble, and That Peter Crouch Podcast.
Major media houses have quoted episodes from the Obi One Podcast, and excerpts and clips have attracted millions of views across social media.
As the New Year beckons, fans expect more engaging stuff from the tie-up between the Nigerian football legend and the ace sports broadcaster.
The stakes are high, but Obi, whose professional footballing career included stints with Stoke FC and Middleborough in England, Turkish side Trabzonspor, and Norwegian and Chinese clubs, can be counted upon to score.
