Nigeria: Include Ighalo, Musa in Olympics Team, Ex-Minister Tells Siasia

Former minister of sports, Col. Musa Mohammed has advised U-23 Coach, Samson Siasia to pick Odion Jude Ighalo, Ahmed Musa and John Obi Mikel as the three over-aged players in the Dream Team squad for this year's Rio Olympic Games. In a chat with Daily Trust yesterday, the former Yobe state military administrator added that he believes these players would add quality to whatever team Siasia decides to pick for the Brazil event.

“In my opinion Ighalo, Ahmed Musa and John Obi Mikel will add impetus to whatever team Siasia comes up with,” Mohammed said. Nigeria qualified for the Rio Olympics when she won the U-23 African Championships and along with Algeria and South Africa will be the continent’s representatives in the men’s football tournament in South America.

The Dream Team IV, the squad is under pressure to repeat the heroics of the 1996 team which won goal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. In 2008, Siasia was the team’s manager when it won silver at the Beijing Olympics but this time around, he is keen to go one better. Already, Siasia has sounded out Ighalo and Super eagles skipper Ahmed Musa as two of the three over-aged players he would like to take to the tournament. FIFA allows three over-aged players to feature at the Olympics and if Siasia goes for Ighalo and Musa, he may already have his full complement of players after Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi declared his interest to play in Rio.