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S[b]Mikel Obi’s Agent Offered Me €50,000 Bribe To Be Included In Nigeria’s 2008 Olympic Team —Siasia[/b]

Siasia recounted how he had earlier pleaded with Mikel, who at the time was struggling for game time at Chelsea, to join the team for the crucial Olympic qualifiers, but the midfielder allegedly declined.

Former Super Eagles and Nigeria U23 coach, Samson Siasia, has alleged that former Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel, attempted to bribe his way into Nigeria’s 2008 Olympic squad after he snubbed the qualification rounds.

Speaking during a recent interview with Elegbete TV Sports, which was uploaded to YouTube on Monday, Siasia alleged that Mikel’s agent offered him a bribe of €50,000 to secure Mikel’s inclusion in the team heading to the Beijing Olympics.

Siasia recounted how he had earlier pleaded with Mikel, who at the time was struggling for game time at Chelsea, to join the team for the crucial Olympic qualifiers, but the midfielder allegedly declined.

“Mikel wasn’t a starter at Chelsea then, he was on the bench. I told him we only had one game against Ghana to play – please come and help us. I said if he doesn’t come, he won’t go anywhere. But Mikel refused to come, saying he was playing in Chelsea,” Siasia stated.

“Nothing happened, we played very well, at the end of the day 0-0, we qualified,” he added, referring to the decisive goalless draw against Ghana that secured Nigeria’s place at the tournament.

According to Siasia, Mikel only showed interest in joining the team after the ticket to Beijing had already been sealed.

“Going to the Olympics, Mikel wants to come and play. His agent said he would give me €50,000 so Mikel should play.“

“I said it’s not about €50,000. He didn’t play the qualifiers, so I will take out someone that qualified us and bring you in? It won’t happen. That’s why Mikel didn’t go,” the former coach said.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the Nigeria Football Federation nor John Obi Mikel has issued any official response to Siasia’s allegations.

Meanwhile, in August 2024, Mikel revealed that he single-handedly funded the U-23 Eagles team's flight to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.

During his podcast, The Obi One Podcast, posted on YouTube, Mikel exposed the corruption within the NFF.

He stated that he had to personally cover the team's travel expenses to ensure their participation in the tournament.

Mikel, who was the team's captain and one of the three overage players, recalled the frustrating experience at the airport, where the team waited from morning till night for a flight that never came.

According to Mikel, the NFF leadership failed to disburse the government-funded allocation for the team's flight to the tournament, despite the time-sensitive nature of the situation.

DuBLINGreenb:
Siasia that was ban for life by FIFA shot up ya detty mouth mr. Siasia

KingTom:
Siasia omo werey!!! You wey dem catch dey receive bribe na him dey accuse another man? You?

DuBLINGreenb:
Siasia that was ban for life by FIFA shot up ya detty mouth mr. Siasia

DuBLINGreenb:
Siasia that was ban for life by FIFA shot up ya detty mouth mr. Siasia

cenaman:
After the ban, Siasia just want to be in the spot light again but In the wrong way.

With all the nonsense he has been saying about Mikel, if not corruption in NFF, which national team or club will give him job.

DuBLINGreenb:
Siasia that was ban for life by FIFA shot up ya detty mouth mr. Siasia

Love800:
Lol.

Mikel is just a stats player, no real contribution or impact in the pitch!

In his whole career as a defensive midfielder in Chelsea, Middlesbrough and supporting striker in Super eagles, only 7goals!

Emempaul:
Clout chaser weytin come bring dis one again nnnnnnnmnnmnnmnnnn

lexy2014:
what criteria did Siasia now use to include the same Mikel in his team in 2016 olympic team?