John Mikel Obi recently opened up about how he personally paid for the U-23 Eagles team’s flight to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil. As one of the three overage players selected for the squad by coach Samson Siasia, Mikel was also given the responsibility of team captain. Under his leadership, the team secured a bronze medal in the men’s football event.
However, Mikel Obi revealed the behind-the-scenes struggles that nearly derailed the team’s participation in the Olympics. According to him, poor planning by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) almost ruined their chances.
Recalling the incident on his podcast, Mikel Obi shared, “When I represented my country at the Olympics in Brazil, we had to fly there, and we waited from morning till night, waiting for a plane to take us to Brazil.” He explained that the delay was due to internal conflicts over who would cover the costs.
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“The FA didn’t want to pick up the tab. The government, I think, released the money, but the FA or whoever the money got into his hands refused to release the funds,” Mikel said. “So we waited at the airport from morning till night, but there was no flight. I had to pay for that flight to take us to Brazil. And these are the little things that people don’t know.”
