“Maybe he is br0ke and looking for money” – Samson Siasia Knocks Mikel Obi For Claiming To Have Sponsored Flight Tickets To 2016 Rio Olympics

Former Nigeria U-23 coach, Samson Siasia, has rebutted recent claims made by ex-Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel. Mikel alleged that he personally paid for the team’s flight to the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Mikel said this during a recent podcast interview hosted by former England international Peter Crouch. He asserts that Nigerian football authorities failed to reimburse him for the flight expenses to Brazil, even though these costs were already included in the official budget. Mikel also accused top officials of mismanaging the allocated funds.

“There is a story where you paid for everyone’s flight,” Crouch asked.

“Yeah, for the Olympics,” Mikel responded. “There was no money to pay for the flight. For most of these players, it was their first major tournament. So I thought, why not? But to this day, I still haven’t been reimbursed.”

Crouch then asked, “Wait, so you got a medal and have still not been paid?”

Mikel replied, “Nope.”

However, Siasia debunked this claims in an interview with Nigerian journalist Callistus Ebare.

“Mikel Obi did not pay any flight money for the Olympic Eagles from the United States to Brazil,” Siasia stated.

“We only had issues with hotel bills. I think he did pay for some hotel expenses, but not for flights.”

According to Siasia, the team travelled with Delta Airlines after Nigerians in the U.S. expressed skepticism about the situation. He stated that a friend reached out the airline’s chairman, which led to a resolution of the issue.

“Yemi Idowu had earlier paid for flight tickets, but the aircraft provided was too small. If Mikel has any receipts, he should show them. As the head coach, I can confirm he didn’t cover those flight costs.”

Taking a dig at Mikel, Siasia added, “Maybe he is broke and looking for money. He should try other means.”

Amid encountering logistical difficulties, the U-23 Eagles ultimately secured the bronze medal at the Rio Olympics, which became Nigeria’s only medal at the Games. The team stormed Brazil just hours before their opening match against Japan, where they were victorious with a score of 5-4.