Former agent of Super Eagles legend John Obi Mikel, John Shittu, has responded to claims made by ex-Nigeria U23 coach Samson Siasia, Soccernet.ng reports.
Earlier, the former head coach of the Nigeria U-23 men’s team alleged that Shittu offered him €50,000 to include Mikel in the 2008 Olympic Games squad despite the player not participating in the qualifiers.
Meanwhile, Shittu, who managed Mikel Obi in most of his professional career, has frowned at the allegation made by the former Nantes FC player.
What Happened?
In a recent interview, Siasia recounted how Mikel Obi, who was then not a regular starter at Chelsea, opted out of Nigeria’s Olympic qualifiers but later expressed interest in joining the squad once the team had booked its ticket to Beijing.
According to Siasia, the move led to an offer from Mikel’s representative to secure his inclusion.
“Going to the Olympics, Mikel wanted to come and play. His agent said he would give me €50,000 to include him,” Siasia claimed.
What Samson Siasia Said
Siasia explained that he rejected the offer on principle, stating that Mikel had no role in the qualification process and it would be unfair to drop a player who had helped Nigeria earn its place in the tournament.
“He didn’t play the qualifiers. So I should remove someone who helped us qualify to bring him in? It won’t happen,” he said.
The former Olympic Eagles coach added: “People who played to qualify should go.”
As a result, SkySports reports that Mikel did not feature at the 2008 Olympics, where Nigeria went on to win a silver medal.
However, he later captained the national U23 team at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, leading them to a bronze medal finish.
What Mikel Obi’s Agent Said
Reacting to the claims, John Shittu told TheCable on Tuesday that Siasia had since called him to apologise over the comments. He dismissed the allegation as unfounded and took aim at the former coach’s credibility:
“I am one of the most respected agents in the game,” he said. “I don’t engage myself with damaged or inconsequential people.”
Shittu added that the issue no longer holds any weight for him, saying:
“As far as I am concerned, it’s a forgotten issue.”
Following this saga, there has not been any comment from the former Chelsea midfielder over the Siasia’s claims.