Nigeria’s head coach to the Rio 2016 Olympics, Samson Siasia, has denied claims by John Obi Mikel that he paid for the flight tickets of the U-23 Eagles to Brazil for the games. In a recent podcast, Mikel alleged that he covered the cost of the team’s flight and has yet to be reimbursed.
“There is a story where you paid for everyone’s flight,” the podcast host, Peter Crouch, asked Mikel. Mikel replied, “Yeah, for the Olympics, again we talk about the corruption. There was no money to pay for the flight, for most of these players, it is their first time going for a major tournament. So I thought, why not? We got there and to this day, I still have not received reimbursement.”
However, Siasia disputed Mikel’s claims, stating that Mikel did not pay for the team’s flight tickets. “Mikel Obi did not pay any flight money for Olympic Eagles from United States to Brazil for the 2016 Olympics. Nothing like that,” Siasia said in an interview.
Siasia explained that the team had issues with hotel bills, but the flight was arranged through Delta Airline after Nigerians in the United States intervened. “Delta Airline flew us because Nigerians in the United States were agitated over the issue. A friend of mine went to Delta Airline chairman and they resolved the matter,” Siasia added.
Siasia challenged Mikel to provide receipts or evidence to support his claim. “If Mikel has the receipt to that effect, let him show Nigerians that he was the one who paid. May be he is broke and looking for money. He should try other means to make money,” Siasia said.
Despite the challenges, the U-23 Eagles had a remarkable performance at the Rio Olympics, clinching a bronze medal. The team’s achievement was a testament to their determination and skill, and their medal win remains a highlight of Nigeria’s participation in the Olympics.