Siasia Confirms Mikel Captain

National U-23 team coach, Samson Siasia, has named Mikel Obi the captain of the side as they are expected to leave their United States’ camping base for Rio, the venue of the 2016 Olympics.

Siasia who persuaded Turkey-based midfielder Azubuike Okechukwu to step down for Mikel said it was natural for the Chelsea star to lead the team having been named the captain of Team Nigeria to the games.

Okechukwu, who led the team to win the 2015 U-23 AFCON in Senegal, gladly accepted to work under Mikel.

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.” Mikel and the rest of the teamwill now fly out for the Rio Olympics from Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States of America on Monday after they failed to do so on Friday as their tickets were not ready. “We will now leave for Brazil on Monday after we could not fly out on Monday because our tickets were not ready,” a team official said.