Former coach of the U23 team of Nigeria Samson Siasia says the agent of John Obi Mikel offered him cash bribe for him to include his client in his team for the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Nigeria finished with silver at the football event of the tournament losing 1-2 to Argentina in the final. Siasia graduated most of players that played for him at the U20 World Cup in 2005 to the team, and like it was at the Olympics they lost to Argentina in the final.
According to Siasia, Mikel was not getting games at Chelsea and his agent offered him cash to include him in his squad, but he turned it down because he already told Mikel that if he doesn’t turn up for the qualifiers against Ghana he won’t include him in his team.
Siasia told Elegbete TV Sports, “Mikel wasn’t a starter at Chelsea then, he was on the bench. I told him we only had one game against Ghana to play – please come and help us.
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“I said if he doesn’t come, he won’t go anywhere. But Mikel refused to come, saying he was playing in Chelsea. Nothing happened, we played very well, at the end of the day 0-0, we qualified.
“Going to the Olympics, Mikel wants to come and play. His agent said he would give me €50,000 so Mikel should play.
“I said it’s not about €50,000. He didn’t play the qualifiers, so I will take out someone that qualified us and bring you in? It won’t happen. That’s why Mikel didn’t go.”
Ade Emmanuel
