Sports
EXPOSED: Inside bribery scandals of N91million, €50,000, others that rock Nigerian football teams’ selection
The allegations regarding bribery in player selection for the Nigerian national football team have gained significant attention. Many former and current players from various clubs around the globe have come forward, accusing coaches and agents of asking for bribes to secure their places on the team.
This issue appears to be perceived as a norm among certain stakeholders, affecting not only the senior team but also all other age categories within the national framework.
Despite the denials from several coaches implicated in these allegations, it has been suggested that bribery influences player selection, particularly favoring specific individuals to represent the nation in tournaments, with varying amounts demanded.
For instance, in 2007, a youth footballer alleged that Mr. Godwin Uwua, the then-coach of the Flying Eagles, required a bribe in exchange for selecting players to represent Nigeria. Odion Ighalo, who was playing for Julius Berger in Lagos at that time, reported that Uwua informed his European representative that unless a payment of N50,000 was made for both Ighalo and his teammate Akabusi, they would not be included in the squad for the Congo African U-20 Championship.
In a more recent incident, former Super Eagles coach Salisu Yusuf was recorded receiving cash from investigative journalists masquerading as football agents seeking the selection of two players for a prominent championship. Yusuf, who served as an assistant to Gernot Rohr during the World Cup in Russia, has refuted any allegations of misconduct.
Moreover, David Alaba, a player for Real Madrid, disclosed that he was solicited for a bribe by the coaches of the Golden Eaglets to secure his selection for the 2007 FIFA Under-17 World Cup. Alaba’s mother firmly refused to comply with the demand for payment.
In 2024, when the 23-man roster for Nigeria’s Super Eagles for the World Cup in Brazil was unveiled, public sentiment reflected a mixture of support and concern, particularly regarding certain questionable inclusions and omissions. One notable player who was nearly selected was Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi, a finalist in the 2005 World Youth Championship, who contributed Nigeria’s sole goal in the final against Argentina. In a subsequent Instagram Live conversation, Obasi attributed his exclusion from the World Cup squad to his refusal to pay a bribe, indirectly implicating the late coach Stephen Okechukwu Keshi in the matter. However, Daniel Amokachi, Keshi’s assistant, subsequently commented that Obasi should have voiced his concerns while the coach was still living.
Recently, former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia has dissociated himself from claims that John Obi Mikel or his agent offered him €50,000 in exchange for securing a position in Nigeria’s squad for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, following legal threats from agent John Shittu.
Siasia, Nigeria’s U23 coach during the 2008 Beijing Games, recently alleged in an interview that John Shittu offered him €50,000 to include Mikel in the Olympic squad—despite the midfielder missing out on the qualifiers.
Speaking on Brila FM’s Big Interview, Siasia expressed disappointment over how his words had been misrepresented by sections of the Nigerian media.
“I won’t talk to Nigerian journalists again. Why would anyone say I said Mikel or his agent offered me money?” Siasia said during the programme.
The 57-year-old insisted that he never accused Mikel or his representative, John Shittu, of offering a bribe and lamented that his reputation was being tarnished over a distorted interpretation of his remarks.
His reaction comes after Shittu, in a statement to the press, denied the bribery allegation and also revealed he had taken legal steps, demanding a retraction and ₦250 million in damages from Siasia for defamation.
The controversy erupted after a clip surfaced online in which Siasia discussed the 2008 Olympic squad selection process.
As earlier reported by Soccernet.ng, he had mentioned that Mikel did not participate in the qualifiers but wanted to be included in the final squad, which Siasia claimed to have rejected out of fairness to the players who had secured qualification.
“He didn’t play the qualifiers. So I should remove someone who helped us qualify to bring him in? It won’t happen,” he earlier said.
The former coach added,
“People who played to qualify should go.”
Mikel eventually missed out on the 2008 Games, with Nigeria going on to win a silver medal. He would later feature prominently at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, leading Nigeria to a bronze medal.
Siasia is yet to issue an official statement or apology to address the growing legal threat from Mikel’s camp, however.
Shittue’s reponse
John Shittu, the former agent of ex-Super Eagles midfielder John Mikel Obi, has hit back at allegations made against him by former Nigeria U23 coach, Samson Siasia.
Shittu, speaking with The Cable, revealed that Siasia had since called him to apologise over the comments.
“I am one of the most respected agents in the game,” Shittu said.
“I don’t engage myself with damaged or inconsequential people.”
The beginning of the story
The Head coach of the Olympics Eagles to the Rio 2016 Olympics, Samson Siasia has refuted claims that that Mikel Obi paid for the flight tickets of the team from United States to Rio.
Siasia was reacting to the news credited to Mikel Obi in the media space in Nigeria in the past few days, where he said that he paid for the flight tickets of the team from Atlanta to Rio in 2016 and till today, he has not been refunded the money.
“Mikel Obi did not pay any flight money for Olympic Eagles from United States to Brazil for the 2016 Olympics. Nothing like that,” Siasia told Omonfoma Ebare of AIT Sports.
“We only had issues with hotel bills. I think, he did pay for some of the hotel bills, but that of the flight from United States to Brazil, Mikel did not pay for that.
Delta Airline flew us because Nigerians in the United States were agitated over the issue. A friend of mine went to Delta Airline chairman and they resolved the matter.
He added that : “Yemi Idowu had earlier paid for the team’s flight tickets, but the aircraft was too small.
“If Mikel has the receipt to that effect, let him show Nigerians that he was the one who paid.
Mikel did not pay for any flight tickets of the team. I say this as the head coach of the team then. He should bring the receipt, if he paid.
“May be he is broke and looking for money. He should try other means to make money,” he concluded.
It is time for the Nigeria Football Federation authorities to step into the trending controversial issues messing with the image of the country at the football level, as the World Cup is fast approaching. The need for the football house and the country’s National Assembly to wade into the matters very crucial by summoning the three personalities to account for what has been trending and find permanent solutions to Nigeria’s football corrupt system.
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen is facing fresh controversy after a Ghanaian player accused him of faking an injury to minimize his playing time with the Nigerian national team.
Asamoah Gyan, a former Ghanaian striker, made this accusation after Osimhen missed Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against South Africa on Tuesday. Click link to continue reading.
Osimhen had previously returned to Galatasaray following a leg injury sustained during the Super Eagles’ 1-0 victory over Rwanda in a World Cup qualifier last weekend.
Consequently, the 26-year-old did not participate in Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with Bafana Bafana on Tuesday evening at the Free State Stadium.
Galatasaray later issued a statement asserting that Osimhen had suffered an ankle ligament injury.
However, Gyan is skeptical about the legitimacy of the injury.
He said, “I know these tricks. Someone might have said to Osimhen, ‘Look, we invested a lot of money in you. The Champions League is coming up. We’re not keen on you going to Africa, but go there, play a little, then get injured and act like it’s serious. The next day, you’ll be back in Türkiye.’” Gyan was quoted by habersarikirmizias saying.
Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has charged the National Sports Commission (NSC) to urgently address the growing problem of age cheating at editions of the National Youth Games (NYG) to safeguard its credibility and ensure fairness.
Oborevwori made the call on Saturday at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, during the closing ceremony of the 9th edition of the Games, which he described as a festival of unity, discipline and excellence.
“What began days ago with great excitement has now come to a glorious conclusion. Today, we celebrate not only the medal winners but also the triumph of sportsmanship and national pride that this festival of youth has demonstrated,” the governor said.
He commended the athletes for their resilience, stressing that whether they won medals or not, they had inspired the nation through their courage and determination.
While praising Team Delta for sustaining its tradition of sporting excellence, he said the Games also provided a platform for discovering new talents from across the country.
The governor, however, lamented that the continued practice of states fielding over-aged athletes undermined the vision of the games.
He urged the NSC to urgently introduce stricter measures to restore integrity and ensure the event remains a true nursery of young talents.
Oborevwori expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, the NSC, the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), coaches, officials, and volunteers for their roles in ensuring a smooth and successful outing.
He also thanked the visitors for making Asaba their home during the period the Games lasted, assuring them of Delta’s readiness to host the 10th edition of the Games in 2026, in line with the agreement that gave the state hosting rights for four consecutive editions.
“On behalf of the Government and people of Delta State, I congratulate every participant and wish you safe travels back to your various destinations,” he concluded.
In his remarks, Chairman of the NSC, Mallam Shehu Dikko, represented by Chief Amaka Asiofu, Director of Grassroots Sports and General Coordinator of the Games, described the Asaba edition as “an incredible experience, marked by fair competition, determination, exciting adventures, and inspirational sportsmanship.”
He praised the Delta State Government for its robust sports development system, noting that the Games had once again provided Nigeria with a fresh pool of athletes who would eventually replace aging national players across various sports.
He assured that the Commission would continue to implement policies to nurture the talents while promoting a sports economic ecosystem that will add value to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Dikko also expressed profound gratitude to Governor Oborevwori, the Federal Government, participating states, sponsors, and stakeholders for their contributions to the success of the Games, while lauding President Tinubu for his unwavering support for sports development under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
In his own remarks, Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission, Mr Onoriode Oborevwori, said the Games had showcased not only the competitive spirit of Nigerian athletes, but also the values of friendship, resilience, and cooperation.
He thanked the NSC, organizers, and stakeholders for their commitment and called for continued collaboration to drive development and excellence in sports.
Meanwhile, in the final medal table, Lagos State emerged overall winners for the first time, with a total of 110 medals comprising 52 gold, 32 silver, and 26 bronze. Delta State finished second with 114 medals (37 gold, 38 silver, and 39 bronze), while Edo State came third with 79 medals (33 gold, 18 silver, and 28 bronze).
Overall, 33 states won medals at the Games, with a combined total of 802 medals, comprising 246 gold, 236 silver, and 320 bronze.
Sports
Why I dumped Nigeria for Turkey – Favour Ofili breaks silence, mentions AFN, NOC in hard decision
Favour Ofili, a talented track and field athlete known for her impressive performances in the 100m, 150m, and 200m sprints, announced on Monday that she has officially changed her nationality from Nigeria to Turkey.
The 22-year-old athlete made her announcement through a thoughtful post on her X handle, expressing the significance of this pivotal moment in her career.
Speculation about Ofili’s switch had been circulating since July when it became clear that she was considering a move to the European country, a decision driven by her ongoing struggles with the Nigerian athletics authorities.
A particularly distressing episode occurred during her attempt to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she was unable to participate due to Nigerian Olympic authorities failing to inform her about the essential drug-testing requirements needed for eligibility.
Compounding her frustrations, another administrative error from the Athletics Federation of Nigeria thwarted her aspirations of representing her country in the 100m event at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics; they failed to submit her name by the required deadline.
In her heartfelt series of tweets, Ofili revealed that her journey had been marred by a pattern of negligence and miscommunication, leading her to make the difficult but decisive choice to switch her allegiance in hopes of a brighter and more supportive athletic future in Turkey.
“Wrapping up my 2025 season has been a whirlwind of new experiences and big decisions. Racing back-to-back across amazing cities and learning from the best has been incredible,” she wrote.
“As some of you have heard, I’m also starting a new chapter representing Turkey.
“I am proud to have represented Nigeria for many years in a highly successful way! Having won SIX gold medals, TWO silver medals and TWO bronze medals in championship meets and a 200 meter Olympic finalist while experiencing the biggest disappointment from AFN and NOC towards me. Negligence towards me in Olympic (Tokyo/Paris). I have made this decision.”
The 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medalist also said financial incentive was not behind her decision to switch allegiance to Turkey.
“While that means sitting out this year’s championship in Tokyo, this change comes from the heart, not from financial motives. I’m truly grateful to have discovered a new home in Turkey,” she added.
Ofili joins the list of high-profile former Nigerian athletes Gloria Alozie and Francis Obikwelu who abandoned Nigerian colours for Spain and Portugal respectively in the 2000s.
In a significant turn of events, Victor Boniface, the talented 24-year-old striker for the Super Eagles, has been left in limbo after his highly anticipated transfer to the esteemed Italian club AC Milan fell through at the last moment.
The aspiring forward had returned to training with high hopes, only to face disappointment when the Serie A giants officially withdrew their interest due to unexpected complications that arose during his medical examinations.
The failed deal has left Boniface visibly upset, as many had regarded this transfer as a pivotal moment in his burgeoning career....Click link for details
Liverpool have reached agreement on a British-record deal to sign striker Alexander Isak from Newcastle United, according to ESPN.
Premier League champions say they have had a £125 million ($170m) bid accepted to sign the Sweden international, though Newcastle sources state the deal is worth £130m. Click to continue reading
Erik ten Hag has been dismissed by Bayer Leverkusen after merely two league fixtures.
The German football club has appointed the former manager of Manchester United to succeed Xabi Alonso, the esteemed Liverpool icon who transferred to Real Madrid at the start of the current season.
Nevertheless, following a difficult initiation to his role in Germany, during which he attained only one point from his first two Bundesliga matches, Erik ten Hag has been dismissed from his position.
A statement issued by the club confirmed: “Bayer 04 Leverkusen has mutually agreed to part ways with head coach Erik ten Hag. This decision was reached by the shareholders’ committee, the club’s supervisory board, based on the recommendation of the management of Bayer 04.”
“Training will be overseen by the current backroom staff on an interim basis.”
Meanwhile, the club’s sporting director, Simon Rolfes, commented: “This decision was not an easy one for us. Nobody wanted to take this step.
“However, the past few weeks have shown that building a new and successful team with this setup is not feasible.
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