Former Nigeria U-23 coach and ex-Super Eagles handler Samson Siasia has denied claims made by former captain John Obi Mikel that he personally paid for the team’s flight to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Mikel had recently stated on The Peter Crouch Podcast that due to mismanagement and lack of support from Nigerian football authorities, he had to pay for the team’s travel expenses from the United States to Brazil. According to him, the move was necessary to ensure the team’s participation in the tournament, and he noted that he has yet to be reimbursed.
However, in response, Siasia disputed the claim, stating that while Mikel did offer assistance to the team in some areas—such as hotel bills—he did not cover the cost of flights. Speaking in an interview with journalist Callistus Ebare, Siasia challenged Mikel to produce receipts if he indeed paid for the team’s travel.
Siasia explained that the team was eventually flown to Brazil by Delta Airlines at no cost, following an intervention by a well-placed contact and pressure from the Nigerian community in the U.S. He also recalled that a Nigerian businessman, Yemi Idowu, had initially provided funds for a private charter flight, but the money was never reimbursed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Siasia concluded by suggesting that Mikel may be making such claims out of frustration or for personal reasons, stating, “Maybe he is broke and looking for money. He should try other means.”
Despite the off-field challenges, Nigeria’s U-23 team went on to win a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics — the country’s only medal at the Games.
No comments:
Post a Comment