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Former Super Eagles midfielder Mutiu Adepoju has weighed in on the ongoing spat between Nigeria legends John Obi Mikel and Samson Siasia over the controversial events surrounding the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, Footynaija.com reports.
Mikel recently claimed he personally paid for a chartered flight to rescue the Nigeria U23 team after they were left stranded ahead of the tournament.
But Siasia, who coached the team at the time, refuted the claim and challenged the former Chelsea star to provide proof.
Speaking to Brila.net, Adepoju expressed disappointment over the public nature of the row and called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to step in and clarify the situation.
“I believe it should be an in-house matter. One would not know who to believe, because he [Siasia] was the coach and has every right to debunk it,” Adepoju said.
“Whichever may be the case, I think the NFF was there and it isn’t the responsibility of a player to pay for a flight ticket. The NFF has to clear the air on this situation. In my own view, this should not be something that should be dragged in public.”
He concluded: “Siasia has coached Mikel across different levels, so I don’t think they should be dragging themselves in public.”
Adepoju added that while players sometimes fund their personal trips to join the national team, it is “highly irregular” for a player to cover costs for an entire squad.
Siasia and Mikel were instrumental in Nigeria’s bronze medal finish at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Both men are celebrated figures in Nigerian football history, with Siasia a key part of Nigeria’s 1994 AFCON-winning squad, and Mikel a central figure in the 2013 AFCON triumph and Chelsea’s 2012 Champions League success.
