Coach of the Nigerian football team to the 2016 Olympic games in Rio Samson Siasia has hit back at claims by John Obi Mikel that he paid for the team’s air ticket to the tournament.
Mikel was picked as one of the three overaged players in the squad by Siasia as permitted by the rules of the tournament. Nigeria went ahead to pick the Bronze medal as the event.
A few days ago , a video clip of Mikel where he claimed he paid the air tickets of the team to the tournament after they were left stranded has gone viral, he claimed till date he hasn’t being reimbursed as he was promised when he decided to pick up the bill.
Responding Siasia said it’s not true insisting that while Mikel paid for some of the bills of the hotel, he didn’t pay for their air tickets.
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“Mikel Obi did not pay any flight money for Olympic Eagles from United States to Brazil for the 2016 Olympics. Nothing like that,” Siasia told Omonfoma Ebare of AIT Sports in quotes published by Totorinews.com.
“We only had issues with hotel bills. I think, he did pay for some of the hotel bills, but that of the flight from United States to Brazil, Mikel did not pay for that.
He added. “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.
“Yemi Idowu had earlier paid for the team’s flight tickets, but the aircraft was too small. If Mikel has the receipt to that effect, let him show Nigerians that he was the one who paid.
“Mikel did not pay for any flight tickets of the team. I say this as the head coach of the team then. He should bring the receipt, if he paid.
“May be he is broke and looking for money. He should try other means to make money,” he concluded.
