As race for Rio Olympics over-age players rages: Siasia meets Mikel, Ighalo

As the waiting game over the identity of the over-age players Nigeria will be parading in the men’s football tournament of the 2016 Olympics goes on, Samson Siasia has met with John Obi Mikel and Odion Ighalo, two Eagles stars holding out for the chance to be on the flight to Rio.

Mikel-Ighalo

Though the competition is primarily for players below 23 years, a provision has been made by FIFA for each participating team to register three players above the stipulated age limit, sparking a battle for these slots by the likes of Chelsea midfielder, Mikel, Watford’s forward, Ighalo, Lille goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, who only last weekend made the French Ligue I team of the season and CSKA forward, Ahmed Musa.

Speculation over the identity of the Dream Team’s fantastic trio for Brazil seems unending despite Siasia’s statement that he knows the three over-age players who will make the flight to Rio as Nigeria seek a second gold medal some 20 years after their first at the Atlanta Games.

And Siasia seems to have stoked up the heated debate after meeting Mikel and Ighalo recently.

The two Nigerian Premier League exports are currently vacating after a gruelling European football season ended last weekend In England and in a post on his official handle, Ighalo shared a picture of himself alongside Siasia and Mikel at what seems an exquisite restaurant

The picture shows Siasia smiling as he warps his hands around the two Eagles stars, suggesting that they have made the flight to Rio, smiling in turn as they united with their former coach at the junior level and recently with Eagles during the last two AFCON 2017 qualifying games with Egypt in Kaduna and Alexandria.

Speaking recently on his Olympics plans, Siasia “my target in Rio is to pick the gold medal having won the silver medal in Beijing in 2008.”

Brazil, parading captain Neymar go into the August tournaments as firm favourites, but the the Nigerian challenge will be a very real one, as long as Siasia selects the right over age players to bolster their chances of a second gold.