Former Nigeria U23 coach Samson Siasia has made a shocking allegation, claiming that John Mikel Obi’s agent offered him a €50,000 (₦76.7 million) bribe to secure the midfielder’s place in Nigeria’s 2008 Olympic squad.
Siasia Speaks Out
In an interview with Elegbete TV, Siasia revealed that Mikel, who was struggling for playing time at Chelsea at the time, declined an invitation to join the team during the final Olympic qualification round.
> “Mikel wasn’t playing regularly at Chelsea then—he was mostly on the bench,” Siasia said. “I asked him to come support us in our final qualifier against Ghana, but he said he was focused on Chelsea.”
Despite Mikel’s absence, Nigeria managed to qualify with a goalless draw against Ghana. According to Siasia, Mikel’s refusal to join at a crucial moment impacted his selection chances.
> “I told him: if you don’t help us qualify, you won’t be part of the team. He didn’t show up, and we got the job done without him.”
The Alleged Bribe Offer
Siasia then claimed that, before the Olympics, Mikel’s agent approached him with a €50,000 offer to include the player in the final squad.
> “His agent came with an offer of €50,000 for Mikel to be included. I turned it down. It was never about money. How could I drop a player who helped us qualify for someone who ignored us when it mattered most?”
At the time, Mikel’s omission from the final Olympic team raised eyebrows, given his status as one of Nigeria’s brightest talents in Europe. However, he would go on to captain the Nigerian team to a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Siasia, who led the 2008 team to a silver medal in Beijing, stood by his decision, insisting that commitment and merit mattered more than reputation.
> “Those boys gave everything during the qualifiers. You can’t just walk into the squad at the last minute because of your name,” he concluded.
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