Former Super Eagles skipper, John Mikel Obi, has made a startling revelation about how he personally funded the Nigerian Olympic football team’s trip to Brazil in 2016, claiming that he is yet to be reimbursed by the government.
According to the Chelsea legend, the team was on the brink of missing their opening match against Japan at the Rio Olympics due to financial setbacks, prompting his intervention.
Before stepping in, Mikel disclosed that he consulted then-coach Samson Siasia, after which he took the decision to pay for a chartered flight to ensure the team made it to Brazil.
In a recent social media post, the Africa Cup of Nations winner shared that the travel logistics were already included in the 2016 budget, but alleged that corrupt government officials diverted the allocated funds.
He stressed that many of the players were participating in their first international tournament and were deeply anxious about the situation.
Speaking on That Peter Crouch Podcast, Mikel said, “I want to talk about the corruption where a budget is signed by the Nigerian government, and somebody sits on top of that money, failing to release it for our Olympics trip.
“There was no money to pay for a flight, the players were worried… I spoke to the coach, we looked for a plane and I had to pay for it.”
Recalling the tense moment at their hotel, Mikel continued, “We are all sitting at the hotel, about to fly to Rio, and everyone’s thinking about how we’re going to get there. There was no money to pay for the flight, nothing to do, and the players were worried because this was the first time most of them were attending a major tournament.
“I thought why not, I spoke to the coach said how can you find a plane, look for a plane and I had to pay for it; I funded the flight.
“We got to the Olympics and I thought, okay now I am going to get reimbursed, but up till today, I still haven’t really got my money back.”
Mikel’s account highlights the long-standing issues of financial mismanagement and lack of support that often plague Nigerian sports teams on the international stage.
