Emmanuel Ekpo says his silver medal is still near and dear to him as he carried it in his pants on his return to Columbus Crew.

"I always have it with me. I take care not to displace it," Ekpo told the club's website.

"After showing it to my team-mates I'm going to keep it in my bank just to keep it safe."

Ekpo was part of the Nigerian squad that lost 1-0 to Argentina in the gold medal match on Aug. 23. After the Olympics concluded, he and his teammates flew home to be recognized and rewarded handsomely by the government.

"Every match there was a bonus. Far more than what I make here, I promise you," he said.

The Crew had expected Ekpo to arrive back in Columbus at the beginning of the week but Ekpo said celebratory plans in Nigeria were revised, forcing a change in his itinerary.

"It was a big deal. We were supposed to meet with the president of the country but when we got home he had already left for Mecca so we met with other dignitaries like the governor of the state and top members, the ministers," Ekpo said. "We were humbly welcomed. People were happy."

Ekpo entered in the 70th minute of the gold medal game but couldn't help Nigeria get the equalizer against Argentina. Still, it was a great experience for the 20-year-old.

"It was really nice. Going to the Olympics and coming this far, most importantly getting a silver medal out of it, my country is very happy," he said.

"We showed the world we have talented players in Nigeria. We had the opportunity to get the gold medal but it just went off our fingers. I'm obviously grateful for the silver medal. It's OK. I'm happy."