Former Nigeria U-23 head coach Samson Siasia has responded strongly to recent claims made by ex-Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel, who alleged that he personally covered flight costs for the Nigerian football team to the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Mikel made the claim during a recent appearance on That Peter Crouch Podcast, stating that he paid for the team’s flights to Brazil out of pocket, as Nigerian sports authorities failed to provide funding, despite having a budget in place.

“There was no money to pay for the flight,” Mikel said. “For most of these players, it was their first major tournament. So I thought, why not? But to this day, I still haven’t been reimbursed.”

When asked by Crouch if he received any compensation afterward, Mikel replied, “Nope.”

However, in an interview with Nigerian journalist Callistus Ebare, Coach Siasia refuted Mikel’s version of events.

“Mikel Obi did not pay any flight money for the Olympic Eagles from the United States to Brazil,” Siasia stated firmly. “We only had issues with hotel bills. I believe he may have paid for some hotel expenses, but definitely not the flights.”

Siasia explained that the team eventually flew with Delta Airlines after concerned Nigerians in the U.S. intervened. According to him, a friend reached out to the airline’s chairman, which helped resolve the travel issue.

“Yemi Idowu had earlier paid for flight tickets, but the aircraft was too small,” he added. “If Mikel has receipts, let him present them. As head coach, I can confirm he didn’t cover those flight costs.”

In a sharp remark, Siasia appeared to question Mikel’s motive for raising the issue:

“Maybe he’s broke and looking for money. He should try other means.”

Despite the logistical setbacks, the U-23 Eagles went on to win Nigeria’s only medal at the 2016 Olympic Games — a bronze. The team arrived in Brazil just hours before their opening match against Japan, which they won 5-4.

They later defeated Sweden 1-0 to qualify for the quarter-finals despite a 2-0 loss to Colombia. Mikel scored in the 2-0 victory over Denmark in the quarter-finals before the team lost to Germany in the semi-finals. Nigeria eventually secured third place with a 3-2 win over Honduras.