Former coach of Nigeria’s men’s football team at the 2016 Olympics, Samson Siasia, has refuted claims by ex-international, John Mikel Obi, that he personally paid for the team’s flight tickets to Brazil.
Mikel, who captained the Dream Team VI to the Rio Olympics, recently alleged on a podcast hosted by former England striker Peter Crouch that Nigerian football officials diverted funds meant for the team’s travel, forcing him to cover the costs. He further claimed the Nigerian Football Federation never reimbursed him.
However, in an interview with journalist, Callistus Ebare, Siasia challenged Mikel’s version of events, stating that while the midfielder may have contributed in other areas, he did not cover the cost of the team’s flight from the United States to Brazil.
“I think he did pay for some of the hotel bills, but that of the flight from United States to Brazil, Mikel did not pay for that,” Siasia insisted.
The former Super Eagles coach went further to demand evidence. “If Mikel has the receipt to that effect, let him show Nigerians that he was the one who paid,” he said.
Despite the controversy and logistical challenges faced by the team before and during the tournament, the U-23 Eagles managed to secure a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics, Nigeria’s only medal at the Games.