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Samson Siasia, former head coach of Nigeria’s U23 national football team, has disclosed that ex-Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi offered $50,000 to secure a spot in the Nigerian squad for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
In an interview with Elegbete TV on YouTube, Siasia recounted how Mikel, then a bench player at Chelsea, initially declined to join the team for a crucial Olympic qualifying match against Ghana. “I pleaded with him to help us, but he refused, saying he was busy with Chelsea,” Siasia said. Nigeria went on to secure qualification with a 0-0 draw in the match, without Mikel’s involvement.
Siasia revealed that after qualification, Mikel’s agent approached him with a €50,000 offer to include the midfielder in the Olympic squad. “I told them it wasn’t about money,” Siasia stated. “He didn’t help us during the qualifiers, so I couldn’t drop someone who fought for the team just to bring him in.”
As a result, Mikel was left out of the 2008 Olympic squad, which went on to win a silver medal in Beijing. Siasia’s revelation sheds light on the behind-the-scenes dynamics of the team’s selection process during that period.
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