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FootballSiasia Hits Out at Mikel Obi, Recounts Nigeria’s Performance at 2016 Rio Olympic Games
- Samson Siasia has recounted his experience with former Nigerian international, Mikel Obi
- He was in charge of Nigerian national teams at different levels and said Mikel was stubborn
- However, the tactician praised the ex-Chelsea star for his performance at the Rio Olympics
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Former Nigeria Olympic football team handler, Samson Siasia, has branded legendary midfielder, Mikel Obi, as 'stubborn'.
Mikel was one of the three over-aged players who represented the Nigerian side at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil.
The then-Chelsea midfielder played a pivotal role as Nigeria claimed bronze at the summer games that year.
He was the captain of the squad as Nigeria finished the preliminary stage as Group B winners ahead of Colombia in second position as Japan and Sweden crashed out, GOAL reports.
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The Dream Team then defeated Denmark 2-0 in the quarter-final, before losing by the same score line to Germany in the semis.
Siasia's men fought hard in the third-place play-off, defeating Honduras 3-2 to win the bronze medal.
In the latest podcast of ATHLST, the former national coach admitted that Mikel inspired the team to achieve such a feat but descriced the former Stoke City star as stubborn.
While answering questions on some of the best players from Nigeria, Siasia responded:
"Mikel is a little bit out of my list: stubborn - I cannot tolerate people like that as much.
"The only good thing he did was that at that Olympics [2016]. He came out and played because I'd warned him like severally.
"He played very well and he acted as a captain. He led the players well and that was why we could get to where we were."
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FootballSiasia set for coaching return
Sports Brief earlier reported that Siasia stated he has learned his lessons following the a ban that saw him away from football-related activities since 2019.
The former Nigerian national coach was handed an initial lifetime ban from all football activities in August 2019 by the world’s football governing body - FIFA.
In 2021, Siasia filed an appeal against the ban and the Court of Arbitration for Sports reduced the sentence to five years, which lapses in August 2024.