Speaking with correspondents on Thursday in Abuja to address reports that he was eyeing some players for the football event of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil, head coach of the Nigerian U-23 national team nicknamed the 'Dream Team', Samson Siasia, says John Obi Mikel is not in anyway, part of his plans as he prepares to move into camping with his team.
According to him, the well-publicised intention of Mikel Obi to be part of Nigeria squad to Rio 2016 Olympic Games, is false, adding that he hasn’t heard anything of such from the player. "Mikel have not told me he wants to play in Olympics. If he comes and tell me that he wants to play in the Olympics, I’ll ask him why he wants to play," the coach said.
Recently, reports making rounds over the media suggests that Mikel could be a shock inclusion to the squad that will represent Nigeria in Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. Siasia, who has now moved to deny the rumours, told journalists in Abuja that he has nothing to do with the 28-year old player, adding that he is happy with his performance for his club.
"I don’t have anything to do with Mikel and don’t want to talk about him. He is doing well for his club and I am happy for him. Hopefully they will invite him to come and help Nigeria in the tough games we are going to play in a couple of weeks to come against Egypt," he stated.
Recalling the episode with John Mikel Obi, who did not play at the 2008 Olympics, Siasia said: "I didn’t drop Mikel then. He didn’t come for the qualifiers. And I said if you don’t come for the qualifiers, why will you want to be part of it.
"I told him that if he didn’t play these two matches, then he won’t go. If you don’t work, you cannot come and eat now. What about the guys that played for us to qualify?"
Speaking on reports that Odion Ighalo and Mikel Obi were in his plans for the Olympics, he said: "I don’t know where all that is coming from. I said I can’t invite players now. I have to look at my team first.
"You keep talking about Ighalo and Mikel. What I said is that if Ighalo keeps to the form like he has right now, that he will be one of my candidates. That’s what I told them. I don’t know where the name of Mikel came into play."
He reiterated that preparations for Rio 2016 Games hadn’t begun, saying: "No! You have to start and see the kind of players you have before you’ll start thinking of how you will make it. Are you not going to play? Because it is the players that you pick that will play.
"Right now, I don’t have anything to tell you about how we are going to go far; it is only when you have the players that you can determine what you will have to do from the quality of players that you have."
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