Mikel bags new appointment and it’s a big one!

In a move that may not go down well with some Nigerians, head coach of the Nigerian Olympic team Samson Siasia has appointed Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi as captain of the Under-23 team going to the Rio Olympics in Brazil.

The 48-year-old made this known on Saturday, July 30, at a press briefing.

According to him, the choice of Mikel Obi was automatic as he is the captain of the Super Eagles and also the captain of Team Nigeria to the Games, Premium Times reports.

Mikel Obi

Siasia said: “It’s just natural for me to pick Mikel as our captain. Aside the fact that he is the captain of the Super Eagles, he is also Team Nigeria captain.

“So after meeting with both of them and explaining my position, I am pleased to say Azubuike who has been our captain understood and was happy to hand over the captain’s band to Mikel.

“It is a thing of joy for my team to produce the first footballer to captain Team Nigeria to the Olympics. This, to me, is more than gratifying.”

The players unanimously accepted Mikel Obi as their captain and expressed delight at the role he has been playing since he joined the team.

On his part, Mikel expressed joy at being made the captain of the Dream Team, describing it as an honor that must yield result in Brazil.

NAIJ.com recalls that Yeni Malatyaspor midfielder Okechukwu Azubuike had captained the team all through their qualifying campaign because of his leadership qualities and his influence in the midfield, until this point.

It comes just days after the minister of Sports and Youth Development, Barrister Solomon Dalung had announced that that John Obi Mikel is captain of Team Nigeria to the Rio Olympics but the decision did not gone down well with many.

The Nigerian U-23 will now depart Atlanta, United States of America for Brazil on Monday, August 1.

The post Mikel bags new appointment and it’s a big one! appeared first on Nigeria News today & Breaking news | Nigerian newspapers 24/7.

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