Siasia: Mikel Obi’s Agent Offered Me a €50,000 Bribe

By Ubong Usoro

Former Nigeria U-23 coach Samson Siasia has claimed that John Obi Mikel’s agent attempted to bribe him with €50,000 to include the Chelsea midfielder in Nigeria’s squad for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

In an interview with Elegbete TV Sports, uploaded to YouTube on Monday, Siasia said Mikel was absent during the Olympic qualifiers but later showed interest after the team secured their place in the tournament.

Siasia said, “Mikel wasn’t playing regularly at Chelsea at the time. I called him and begged him to join the team for the final qualifying match against Ghana. I told him clearly, If you don’t help us qualify, you won’t go to the Olympics.”

Despite Mikel’s absence, Nigeria earned a goalless draw against Ghana, which was enough to secure their Olympic spot.

€50,000 Bribe Allegedly Offered by Mikel’s Agent

Siasia claimed that after the ticket to Beijing had been sealed, Mikel’s agent approached him with a cash offer.

According to the gafer, “Mikel later wanted to join the squad, and his agent came to me offering €50,000 so he could be included. I told him no. I couldn’t justify dropping someone who fought hard during the qualifiers for someone who didn’t show up. That’s why Mikel didn’t go.”

As of the time of writing, neither Mikel Obi nor the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has publicly responded to these serious allegations.

https://thepinnacleng.com/sport/club-world-cup-big-games-empty-stands

Mikel Obi’s 2016 Olympics Funding Revelation

This isn’t the first time Mikel has made headlines related to Olympic football. In 2024, on his Obi One Podcast, Mikel disclosed that he personally funded the Nigerian U-23 team’s flight to the 2016 Rio Olympics.

According to Mikel, the NFF failed to release the government-approved funds for the team’s travel, leaving players stranded at the airport.

Mikel, who was team captain and one of three overage players, covered the travel expenses to ensure Nigeria’s participation in the tournament.

“We were stuck at the airport all day. If I didn’t step in, we wouldn’t have made it to Rio,” Mikel said on his podcast.

What’s Next:

The allegation of a €50,000 bribe involving Mikel Obi’s agent and Samson Siasia sheds new light on past controversies in Nigerian football.

Whether these claims will receive an official response remains to be seen, but they contribute to the ongoing discussion about transparency and professionalism in Nigerian sports administration.