Gabriel Mikina, Emmanuel Obiefuna’s relationship transcends the soccer field

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Emmanuel Obiefuna struggled once he arrived in the United States from Canada. It was difficult balancing schoolwork and social life while being a Division I athlete. It was difficult until Gabriel Mikina helped him.

Obiefuna is a biology major. Mikina used to be one before switching to finance. Using prior knowledge, Mikina reviewed with Obiefuna before exams. He taught Obiefuna how to prioritize what matters most.

“I started understanding,” Obiefuna said. “I started implementing (Mikina’s advice) into my lifestyle and then my grades, soccer, everything started going uphill from there.”

During their time together at Niagara, Mikina took Obiefuna under his wing. His guidance transformed Obiefuna on and off the field. Despite moving on to different universities, the relationship between the two Toronto natives remains. Obiefuna is a junior defender at Pacific while Mikina is a senior defender at Syracuse this year.

“They did everything together,” said Stephen Hasse, current Syracuse player and former teammate of Mikina and Obiefuna at Niagara. “Having that relationship definitely helped them.”

Mikina and Obiefuna’s journey together started before Niagara. In the 2020 offseason, the pair played in the Pitch Side Solutions League — one made up of top young soccer players in the Toronto area.

At the time, Mikina was already at Niagara and Obiefuna was a recent commit. Through the program, Mikina told Obiefuna to come play with his summer team.

“Welcoming (Obiefuna) and almost coaching him, getting on him during games…I feel like I took him under my wing playing-wise,” Mikina said of his relationship with Obiefuna.

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The two also spent time in the offseasons playing for The North Toronto Nitros, a League1 Ontario team. Both played center back so Obiefuna had “open ears” around the more experienced Mikina. After Obiefuna arrived at Niagara, he stayed close to Mikina, continuing their relationship.

“(Mikina) was like an older brother to me,” Obiefuna said. “I go to him for a lot of advice, even outside the pitch. Me and Gaby are very close.”

During his freshman year, Obiefuna also had problems managing his money. Obiefuna said he would often spend too much and not save enough. He looked to Mikina, who showed Obiefuna how to navigate debt and spend efficiently.

“Not a lot of people would really help you with your finances if they’re struggling,” Obiefuna said. “If I needed something, Gaby would be right there.”

On the field, Mikina wasn’t as lenient. Former Niagara teammate Jordan Acevedo described Mikina as big and strong with polished technical skills. Mikina tried to instill that style into Obiefuna. When Obiefuna made an error, Mikina was the first to tell him how to fix it.

Obiefuna said that Mikina constantly helped him with hip rotation. Mikina told Obiefuna to open up his hips when backtracking on defense or receiving passes on offense.

“You know that if you make a mistake, he’s going to be there to help you out,” Acevedo said of Mikina. “It’s just that cohesiveness that he brings to the team.”

Mikina used his free time to work with Obiefuna on the field. After finishing classes, the two worked on ping passes and low-driven balls, Obiefuna said. He explained that Mikina helped him refine skills he previously struggled with, such as playing with his head up.

In his freshman year, Obiefuna went through a rough patch. He said he wasn’t performing well, and at times, he wasn’t starting. Mikina was the first one to set him straight.

“‘Eman, why is your head down?’” Obiefuna recalls Mikina saying to him after being benched. “‘Why are you giving up? Where is your confidence?’”

Mikina told Obiefuna to control what he could. They continued to work together in their spare time. Mikina thinks that Obiefuna developed resilience during their relationship that’s carried over to the present.

“(Emmanuel) was not a mature player to where he is now,” Mikina said. “Now, he’s vocal, he’s strong.”

At the conclusion of the 2022 season, Obiefuna opted to enter the transfer portal with Mikina. Obiefuna chose Pacific, but it was easy for him to walk into a new situation this time around.

Obiefuna said he now smiles after making a mistake in practice, knowing he can do better rather than pouting. He knows to trust himself on the field. He knows how to correct himself when he messes up.

“(Obiefuna) is honestly one of the best center backs I’ve played with,” Mikina said. “So seeing that progression and knowing that I had an impact on him coming up was amazing.”

On Oct. 12, 2022, Mikina’s teachings came full circle. He and Obiefuna sat in a hotel room before a road game against Siena. Mikina told Obiefuna he was confident he’d score a goal that day. Obiefuna agreed and said to Mikina that he would net one as well.

In the 32nd minute, Mikina laced a free-kick into the back of the net to give Niagara a 1-0 lead over Siena. Then, early in the second half, Obiefuna doubled the advantage off a header for his first-ever collegiate goal. He was just following Mikina’s lead.

“It’s a day that I’ll never forget,” Obiefuna said. “We both called ourselves scoring goals and we both ended up doing it.”