John Obi Mikel Blames Detractors for Rumoured $30,000 Donation to U23 Team

Super Eagles and Rio Olympics football team captain, John Obi Mikel has debunked reports suggesting he donated the sum of 30,000 dollars to the Nigerian U23 team presently in camp in Atlanta, United States of America.

Yesterday, the  media was awash with rumours that Mikel, who has been named Team Nigeria captain to the Rio Games, had made the donation to the Dream Team VI as a means of alleviating their sufferings occasioned by total neglect from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Ministry of Sports.

The 29-year old Chelsea midfielder has categorically denied the claims, describing it as the handiwork of detractors.

“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,” Mikel told the NFF.

“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.

“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,” he concluded.

Nigeria kickoff their Olympic campaign with a Group B tie against Japan at the Amazônia Arena Manaus on August 4.