Former Nigeria U23 coach Samson Siasia has disclosed that he was offered a €50,000 (approximately ₦91 million) bribe by John Obi Mikel’s agent to include the midfielder in Nigeria’s squad for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, despite Mikel not participating in the crucial qualification matches. Speaking in an interview with Elegbete TV Sports, Siasia recounted how he had pleaded with Mikel, who was then struggling for game time at Chelsea, to join the team for the decisive qualifier against Ghana. However, Mikel declined, insisting he was a regular at Chelsea, a claim contradicted by records showing he started several Premier League matches around that period.
Siasia explained that Nigeria secured qualification with a goalless draw against Ghana without Mikel’s involvement. After qualification was confirmed, Mikel’s agent approached Siasia with the bribe offer to have Mikel included in the Olympic squad. Siasia firmly refused, stating it was not about money and that it would be unfair to replace players who helped secure qualification.
The Nigerian team eventually went on to win the silver medal at the Beijing Olympics under Siasia’s leadership. As of now, neither Mikel nor the Nigeria Football Federation has publicly responded to these allegations. This revelation adds another layer to the ongoing public feud between Siasia and Mikel, which intensified after Mikel claimed to have personally funded the Nigerian U23 team’s flight to the 2016 Rio Olympics a claim Siasia has disputed.
