Known as the Dream Team, Nigeria's Olympic football team won the gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and picked up silver at the Athens games in 2002. With the Rio Olympics due to start on August 5, the team is hoping to repeat this feat and it is already in camp training ahead of the tournament.
Sports minister Solomon Dalung, also named Mikel as the overall captain of Team Nigeria and announced that Funke Oshonaike would be the assistant team captain. Mikel is one of the three over-aged players invited to the national under-23 football team for the games.
Mikel is making his first appearance at an Olympic Games, after missing out on the 2008 edition in Beijing, China where he was widely expected to make an appearance. Table tennis star Oshonaike is making her sixth appearance at the Olympics after she made her debut at the Atlanta Games in 1996.
Mr Dalung said: “Mikel and Oshonaike were chosen because of their consistency, patriotism and dedication to national assignments. Mikel is a young, patriotic footballer of international status and we believe he will be a role model to the upcoming athletes, while Oshonaike is experienced and is one of the oldest athletes in the team.
“We believe that their combined efforts will bring goodwill to Team Nigeria and project the county’s image positively to the world." Dream Team VI, is expected to depart for Rio from Atlanta in the US, where it has been training.
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