Former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia has refuted claims that John Obi Mikel or his agent offered him €50,000 to make Nigeria’s squad for the 2008 Olympics, NaijNaira can report.
In a recent interview aired on Brila FM, Siasia said his words were misinterpreted by parts of the Nigerian media. The original story suggested that Siasia had accused Mikel’s agent, John Shittu, of attempting to bribe him for the midfielder’s inclusion in the Beijing squad.
“I won’t talk to Nigerian journalists again. Why would anyone say I said Mikel or his agent offered me money?” he stated.
Siasia clarified he only discussed the squad selection process and Mikel’s absence during the qualifiers, which influenced his decision.
“He didn’t play the qualifiers. So I should remove someone who helped us qualify to bring him in? It won’t happen,” Siasia said.
Shittu, in response, denied the bribery claim and served Siasia a legal notice demanding ₦250 million in damages.
Mikel eventually missed the 2008 Olympics but later captained Nigeria to a bronze medal in 2016.
Siasia has not released a formal response regarding the legal demands from Mikel’s camp.
Article updated 3 weeks ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
