It was good to see Mikel play the full 90 minutes tonight for Nigeria in the Confederations Cup against world minnows Tahiti.
The Chelsea midfielder, 26, who could be on his way out of Stamford Bridge this summer, with Turkey a likely destination, ensured his country had a more than solid start to the tournament in Brazill by winning 6-1.
This success follows on the heels of Chelsea's Brazilian stars David Luiz and Oscar who saw off a spirited Japan at the weekend.
And of course World Cup winners Spain have Fernando Torres, Cesar (Dave) Azpilicueta and Juan Mata. Sadly none of the three started in their 2-1 win over Uruguay.
But rest assured they are bound to feature later on in the tournament, and who knows could even return to Chelsea with another clutch of medals.
Let's hope so.