Siasia 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

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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Siasia 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.