Former Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi has disclosed that he personally paid for the Nigerian U-23 team’s travel to the 2016 Rio Olympics, citing a failure by relevant authorities to release funds despite an approved government budget.
Speaking in a recent interview, Mikel explained that the team was stranded in Atlanta, United States, just days before the tournament began.
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With no funds available for flights or logistics, there was a real danger the team would miss the event entirely. To salvage the situation, the former Chelsea midfielder took it upon himself to charter a plane for the squad to Brazil, reportedly at a personal cost of over ₦50 million.
“There was no money, and we were stuck,” Mikel said. “I had to pay for a chartered plane to get the boys to Brazil. If I didn’t, we probably wouldn’t have made it to the tournament.”
The team went on to win the bronze medal in Rio, defeating Honduras 3–2 in the third-place playoff. It remains Nigeria’s only medal at the 2016 Olympics.
Despite the high personal financial cost, Mikel said he does not regret the decision, although he noted that he has not been reimbursed by the Nigerian authorities.
“It’s been years now. I never got that money back, but the joy and pride of helping my country and those young players succeed was worth more than the money,” he stated.
The incident has drawn renewed attention to the persistent funding and administrative issues within Nigerian sports. While Mikel’s gesture was widely praised at the time, his recent revelations have once again highlighted the need for structural reform and proper accountability in the nation’s football management.
