Siasia Wants Rio2016 Confirmation from Mikel

Chelsea star John Mikel Obi will have to first tell coach Samson Siasia he wishes to feature at the Rio Olympics before he would be considered for the summer games.

The 28-year-old midfielder could debut at the Olympics in Brazil in August as an over-age player after he missed out on the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Siasia said: “As for Mikel, if he specifically comes to me to request I include him in my team, I will reason. I will ask him if he really wants to play for the team. “I must be sure of his mission.” The coach had refused to pick Mikel for the Beijing Olympics after the player stayed away from the qualifying matches.

Siasia further said he will be definite about the three over-age players he will name for the Rio Olympics when it is closer to the competition.

“I have some players I am thinking about, but the truth is that since the tournament is still six months away, we have to also be cautious of the players’ form. We cannot pick players who are in form now only for them to lose form in August, ”he explained.

Meanwhile, Siasia has said he will pick Watford striker Odion Ighalo to score goals for him at the Rio Olympics in August.

The 26-year-old Ighalo will be one of three over-age stars Nigeria will pick for the summer Olympics.

“It is obvious that we will consider Odion because he is the only Super Eagles player playing and scoring goals in the Premier League,” Siasia hinted during the week.

“Everybody is looking at him and he is good boy, gentle and discipline.

“I can tell you that if he is in good shape when we want to go for the tournament, he will of course be one of the players we want to pick. We need somebody like him to score for us.”

Ighalo has scored 14 goals in the Premier League this season.

Incidentally, Siasia named the striker as his captain at the 2009 FIFA U20 World Cup in Egypt.