Former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia has disclosed how John Mikel Obi once offered him $50,000 to secure a spot in Nigeria’s squad for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Siasia, who led Nigeria’s U-23 Dream Team to a silver medal at the games, made this revelation during an interview with Elegbete TV on YouTube. According to him, Mikel’s agent tried to persuade him with a €50,000 bribe to include the midfielder in the squad.
“Mikel wasn’t even a regular starter at Chelsea then; he was mostly on the bench. I told him we had just one game left in the qualifiers, against Ghana, and asked him to come help us,” Siasia explained.
“But he refused, saying he was focused on Chelsea. We still played well, got a 0-0 draw, and qualified.”
Siasia went on to reveal what happened when the team secured qualification:
“After we qualified for the Olympics, Mikel suddenly wanted to join the squad. His agent offered me €50,000 so he could play.
“But I refused. I told them it’s not about money. He didn’t participate in the qualifiers, so how could I drop one of the players that fought for our ticket just to accommodate him? It wasn’t going to happen. That’s why Mikel didn’t go to the Olympics,” Siasia concluded.
