Captain of
Team Nigeria to the Rio Olympics, John Mikel Obi has denied media reports
making the rounds in Nigeria that he gave $30,000 dollars to his teammates in
the U23 football team. Speaking
from the team’s camp at the Hyatt Place in Atlanta, USA, Mikel said, “I was
first told of this unfortunate story by a friend who called me from Nigeria. I
thought he was joking until he sent me the link."
“I don’t
know the source of this story which to me is all out to divide us as a team. I
would have thought that stories that should be coming out in the media are
stories that will unite the team instead of dividing us. Our target in Rio is
to excel, but if they continue like this, then I wonder how we can be united.”
Wondering
why the writer thinks that the players are hungry that needed his money, Mikel
asked: “Tell me the players who are in this team that are so hungry that will
be looking up to me for survival? Is it (William) Ekong, (Oghenekaro) Etebo,
(Shehu) Abdulahi, (Daniel) Akpeyi, (Kingsley) Madu, (Okechukwu) Azubuike or
(Stanley) Amuzie, who are my team mates in the Super Eagles, that I will be
donating to, or other players who are plying their trade abroad and are doing
well for themselves? To me, this is just mere distraction that won’t help this
team going into a major tournament like the Olympics.”
The Chelsea
FC ace then appealed to the sporting press and Nigerians generally to rally
round the team and wish the players and officials well as they get ready for
the men’s football tournament of the Rio Olympics.
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