I was framed — Siasia denies saying Mikel's agent tried to bribe him

Former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia has denied ever claiming he said that Mikel Obi offered him a bribe through his agent.

Siasia said in a video that made the rounds that Mikel's agent offered him $50,000 ahead of the 2008 Olympics in a bid to get the Chelsea star in the squad. Siasia now claims that the video was doctored after the threat of legal action. 

As Pulse Sports reported, John Shittu, Mikel’s agent, submitted a legal demand, asking Samson Siasia to retract his bribery claim and pay damages. 

Shittu formally denied Siasia’s claim through a letter dated and signed by his legal representatives. He also reportedly demanded that Siasia retract his claim and pay ₦250 million in damages.

After reports of John Shittu’s petition, Siasia went on Brillia to deny saying Mikel attempted to bribe him through his agent. He said the video was a fabrication, as he never made those utterances. 

“I won't talk to Nigerian journalists again,” Siasia told Brilla. “Why would anyone say I said Mikel or his agent offered me money?”

The video in question was an interview between the former Dream Team coach and Elegbete, in which the Al Hilal striker can be heard saying the following:

“Mikel wasn’t playing regularly at Chelsea at the time, mostly on the bench. I told him we had just one match left, against Ghana, and I asked him to come support the team. But he said he was busy with Chelsea,” Siasia said.

“I told him clearly: if you don’t come to help us qualify, you won’t be part of the team. He didn’t show up and we qualified without him,” the coach continued.

“Before the Olympics, his agent approached me with an offer of €50,000 for Mikel to be included in the team. But I refused. It was never about money. How do I drop one of the boys who fought hard to qualify, just to bring in someone who wasn’t there when it mattered most?”

The journalist who conducted the interview and published the video, Matthew ‘Elegbete’ Edafe, has yet to respond to Siasia's allegation, despite being nudged by colleagues on X.