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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