“Olympic Scandal Revealed: Siasia Claims He Turned Down Mikel Obi’s Cash Offer

Former Nigeria U-23 coach, Samson Siasia, has revealed that he excluded Mikel Obi from the Beijing 2008 Olympics squad because the midfielder failed to honour a crucial qualifier against Ghana.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Speaking in an interview with Elegbete TV Sports, Siasia explained that he had invited Mikel to participate in the final qualifying match, but the then-Chelsea player declined, citing club commitments.

Despite Mikel’s absence, Nigeria secured a 0-0 draw against Ghana — enough to seal qualification for the Olympics.

Siasia alleged that after the team qualified, Mikel, through his agent, tried to bribe his way into the squad with an offer of €50,000. The coach said he turned down the offer, choosing loyalty to the players who had helped Nigeria qualify over financial gain.

“Mikel wasn’t even starting for Chelsea at the time — he was mostly on the bench. I told him we had just one more game against Ghana and we needed him, but he refused, saying he had club duties,” Siasia recounted.

“We played without him and still qualified. Then suddenly, ahead of the Olympics, his agent offered me €50,000 to include him. I said no — he didn’t help us qualify, so I won’t replace someone who did just to please him. That’s why he wasn’t part of the team.”

Meanwhile, Naija News also reports that Siasia recently revealed Mikel Obi didn’t fund the flight tickets for Nigeria’s U-23 team ahead of the 2016 Olympics, contrary to popular belief.