Ex-Super Eagles’ midfielder urges Siasia, Mikel to end feud

Former Super Eagles midfielder Mutiu Adepoju has described the recent public spat between his former teammate, Samson Siasia, and ex-captain John Mikel Obi as “a stinking situation that is not good for public consumption.”

Adepoju, fondly known as “Headmaster” during his playing days, advised that the controversy over who paid for the under-23 national team’s flight to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro should be left in the past.

Mikel, who captained the Nigerian team to a bronze medal in Rio, claimed he paid for the team’s flight, a statement Siasia has publicly denied. Adepoju, however, urged both men to move on for the sake of national unity.

“I don’t know the reasons behind all these things they are saying, both of them,” Adepoju said. “It’s high time these things stopped because of the collateral damage they can cause.”

He added, “I don’t know when all these things happened, and I don’t want to know who is right or wrong… because it is something that has passed.”

Adepoju acknowledged the valuable contributions of both men to Nigerian football and stressed that they deserve respect for their service to the nation.

“Mikel Obi has played his part. He served Nigeria, and nobody can say he didn’t do well enough to be called a hero. Samson Siasia also served as both a player and coach. He has done well too,” he said.

The former midfielder concluded with a plea for peace between the two football icons, who worked together in the Flying Eagles’ squad that finished runners-up at the 2005 FIFA U20 World Cup in the Netherlands.