‘I will not speak to Nigerian Journalists again’ – Samson Siasia Denies Mikel Obi Bribery Claims
Former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia has denied reports claiming that John Obi Mikel or his agent offered him money to secure a spot in Nigeria’s squad for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Siasia, who was Nigeria’s under-23 coach at the time, recently said in an interview that Mikel’s agent, John Shittu, offered him €50,000 to include Mikel in the Olympic team, even though the midfielder did not take part in the qualifying matches.
Video replay clearly shows Samson Siasia making the allegations as earlier reported here by SportsRation – Dream Team Coach Alleges Chelsea star Tried to Bribe His Way into Nigeria’s 2008 Olympic Team
However, speaking on Brila FM’s Big Interview, the 57-year-old said his words were twisted by the media and insisted that he never accused Mikel or Shittu of bribery.
“I will not speak to Nigerian journalists again,” Siasia said. “Why would anyone say I said Mikel or his agent offered me money? I never said that.”
Siasia expressed his disappointment and said that his reputation was being damaged by false reports.
His response came after John Shittu denied the claims and said he had taken legal action. Shittu is demanding a public apology and ₦250 million in damages from Siasia for defamation.
The issue began when a video clip circulated online showing Siasia talking about the 2008 Olympic squad selection. In the clip, he explained that Mikel had not played in the qualifiers, and he felt it was unfair to remove players who helped the team qualify.
“He didn’t play the qualifiers,” Siasia said. “So I should remove someone who helped us qualify just to bring him in? It won’t happen. People who played to qualify should go.”
Mikel was left out of the 2008 squad, and Nigeria went on to win a silver medal at the Games. Mikel later played at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, helping Nigeria win bronze.
Siasia has not yet made a public statement or apology regarding the legal notice from Mikel’s camp.
