The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Samson Siasia

  • Siasia wants European opposition

    Siasia wants European opposition

    Nigeria U-23 Coach, Samson Siasia, has said he is hoping to play some friendly games in Europe before February’s 2015 All Africa Games qualifier against Gabon.

    Siasia had earlier stated his intention to play African opposition before the qualifiers against Gabon, but has now confirmed to sl10.ng that he is also looking to play against tougher opponents in Europe to get the team in shape for the upcoming qualifiers.

    However, he admitted that they are still working with match agents to secure the games.

    “We are still working with some match agents to see if they can get us some good games.

    “When we come back in January (after the Christmas break) and after our physical exercises, we will try to go to Europe and anywhere we can get these games.

    “We will try to play against some tough opposition to kind of size ourselves up against stronger teams to get ourselves prepared for the February game,” Siasia told sl10.ng.

     

  • Siasia’s Dream Team thrash NYSC

    Siasia’s Dream Team thrash NYSC

    Samson Siasia’s Nigeria’s U/23 side defeated  NYSC football team 3-0 on Saturday as he continued to screen players for the Dream Team.

    The ex-international, who led the Dream Team to the finals of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing where his team couldn’t hold back a Lionel Messi inspired Argentina team from picking the gold medal, saw his experimental team defeat  NYSC team who put up an impressive display in the friendly match played at the FIFA Goal Project, Abuja.

    Among prominent figures in the stands to watch the game was the Director General of the NYSC Brig. Gen. Johnson Olawumi, who came to give his boys all the support.

    The entertaining game started at about 4.15pm, with the Samson Siasia led boys parading the likes of Etim Mathew and Samuel Adegbenro dictating the pace of the game as Azubuike held sway in the midfield, while Samuel Adegbenro and youthful Newman tormented their opponents from the flanks.

    Despite the support from the singing supporters of the NYSC team, it was the U-23 team who looked more mobile that had the game under control from the blast of the refs whistle.

    These pressures led to the NYSC defenders committing so many blunders and in one of such fouled Newman Doubra in the penalty area and the resultant penalty was scored by Etim Mathew in the 35th min.

    After the goal it was the Dream Team VI all the way as they continued mounting pressure on their opponents with their coaches on their neck for more goals and in the 44th minute Ghali ?Abdullahi increased the tally with a beauty of a goal.

    On resumption of the second half, Coach Siasia made a total change of the players who played the first half in a bid to give all invited players the opportunity to showcase their talents.

    This reduced the tempo of the game as the new players could not maintain the pace of the players who started the game.

    As the coaching crew and a handful of fans who were on hand to watch the game seem to have settled for a 2-0 win for the U-23 team, the NYSC team conceded an own goal off a free kick from Fashanu in the dying minutes of the game to ensure the national team secured their fifth win since they started the screening exercise in Abuja.

    The Dream Team VI had earlier defeated Wazobia FC Abuja 5-0, Jay 1 6-0, played a 2-2 draw with Inter Milan FC, forced Football College to a 1-1 draw, defeated Dara FC 4-0 and on Friday morning beat Amackson Academy of Abuja 2-1.

  • Siasia can lead U- 23 team to success — Amoo

    Siasia can lead U- 23 team to success — Amoo

    First Assistant Coach of the Nigeria’s U- 23 football team, Fatai Amoo has exclusively told NationSport that the Chief Coach of the team Samson Siasia has the wherewithal to repeat the Beijing, China 2008 Olympics silver winning feat and he and the other assistant coaches would help Siasia to achieve this ambition.

    “I agreed to serve my nation because it is a great honour to be appointed as one of the coaches of this great team. When you are given a national assignment it is always an honour to serve. So the Nigeria Football Federation must have seen that quality in me to assist Coach Samson Siasia to mould a good team that would achieve success and I am ready to serve in the team.

    “I am ready to assist the Head Coach to achieve the needed positive results. The Chief Coach (Samson Siasia) has performed brilliantly well when he last haudles this same team.  He led this team to the final of the last Olympics but lost narrowly (1-0) to a great side Argentine side by football star Lionel Messi, It means he had done a good job when handling the team as at that time.

    “So if I have to come in to assist such a coach I think it is a great honour and I thank the NFF for giving me the platform to serve the nation. I really appreciate the NFF for this privilege. So we will work really hard to ensure that we achieve success with this team.

    “The task ahead of us is tough but surmountable when you have a quality Coach like Siasia as the leader of the team. The U- 23 team is like the senior national team because it is always comprised of national team players who falls within that age bracket and that is what makes the job a herculean task but surmountable when you have a coach who has done it before.

    “As regards the screening exercise this is the second day (Tuesday) running and as I speak with you now we have already screened over 500 players from the academies around the country. We have been able to do elimination by substitution and by the time we would have concluded this exercise certainly we would have laid a befitting foundation for a team that we hope to be a pride of all with God on our side”, Amoo summed up.

  • NFF plots Siasia’s return as Eagles’ coach

    NFF plots Siasia’s return as Eagles’ coach

    Former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia, could be in line to replace Stephen Keshi as the team coach unless the Sports Ministry stops the Nigeria Football Federation from going ahead with the plan.

    Goal gathered from a top NFF official that Super Eagles’ poor performance in the ongoing African Nations Cup qualifiers has blotted Keshi’s record with the team.

    The official told Goal, “There are many factors standing in the way of Stephen Keshi in his bid to retain the Super Eagles job and I will give you a break-down. But before that I must say that Keshi must be most grateful to the Honourable Sports Minister,Tammy Danagogo, for fighting for his retention as the team chief coach.

    “The minister has never hidden his love and preference for him and he based it on Keshi’s past achievement which he said was more than necessary for him to continue his job. The minister still believes that the Eagles under Keshi could still bounce back and qualify for the 2015 AFCON in Morocco.

    “But we at the NFF here know that the problem with the team is more than what we are seeing from the surface. Firstly, there is no commitment on the part of the players Keshi is parading for the 2015 AFCON qualifiers and if something drastic is not done, Nigeria may not be among those nations that would campaign in Morocco 2015.”

    He also revealed that most members of the NFF executive committee are no longer at ease with Keshi’s alleged antics and disrespect towards them and now want another coach who would listen to them and respect them as his employers.

    “They have also not forgotten in a hurry the way the former Eagles captain allegedly humiliated the Aminu Maigari Board members during the Africa Cup of Nations which Nigeria won in South Africa and felt highly disappointed with the way the coach received all the accolades and praises from all and sundry without mere mention of the NFF Board and Secretariat.

    “We all know how Keshi threatened to dump the team in South Africa shortly after the Eagles won the 2013 AFCON. The controversies generated by this singular action put the NFF  in a bad light and so many other crises including the players threatening not to play one of the qualifying matches for the last World Cup as well as during the World Cup proper when the players demanded for their bonuses. These crises put negative mark on the NFF.”

  • Brazil 2014 fifa World Cup: Keshi’s team list not final, says Siasia

    Brazil 2014 fifa World Cup: Keshi’s team list not final, says Siasia

    A former Super Eagles Head Coach, Samson Siasia, on Wednesday said any team list from Coach Stephen Keshi for the 2014 World Cup in Rio de Janerio was not final.

    Siasia told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that many unforeseen circumstances could come up between now and the beginning of the tournament in Brazil.

    NAN reports that the 2014 World Cup would kick off on June 12. He said there was still time for adjustment as the country has not less than six months to the World Cup, pointing out that within this period, some of the players on the current list could be injured or get out of form.

    Siasia said: “So, you only pick players that are in form or playing in their chains; so there will be a lot of changes. You won’t get the players that will actually go to the World Cup now, not until you get very close; maybe two months from now or so before the World Cup.”

    He noted that early preparation with friendly matches were important planks in the steps to adequate preparation.

    According to him, there is the need to spy on the teams in the group that Nigeria is in so as to know their strengths and weaknesses.

    “Keshi can’t do all those ones; he has to send someone to go and look at them and get their videos; football has gone beyond what we see now. So, these are the areas they should help him,” he said, pointing out that in his estimation, Keshi was doing well.

    Siasia urged Nigerians to be critical of the preparations and offer suggestions and be ready to travel to Brazil to cheer their team to victory, saying with good preparation, the boys would do well.

  • Siasia denies Pillars link

    Siasia denies Pillars link

    Former Super Eagles head coach, Samson Siasia has denied reports linking him to the vacant coaching post at Nigerian champions, Kano Pillars.

    Head coach of Kano Pillars, Baba Ganaru made a shock exit from the club on Friday and announced that he would be taking charge of another Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) club, Nasarawa United.

    Siasia is the bookmaker’s favourite to fill the void at Saimasu Gida but the former Nigeria Under-23 coach has now distanced himself from the speculations linking him with the NPFL kings.

    “Pillars are a great club but there is no truth that I have been contacted by officials of the club to become their next coach,” Siasia told supersport.com in Saturday.

    It has also been rumoured that Ganaru quit as Kano Pillars boss following consistent stories in the media that Siasia was poised to be named head of the Pillars technical crew.

    Siasia however denied that he had anything to do with exit of Ganaru.

    “How could anyone say I had anything to do with Ganaru’s sacking when no one from Pillars has contacted me as far taking over the club is club?

    “I have read lot of rumors in the papers that are not correct,” he said.

  • No Pillars’ deal for Siasia

    No Pillars’ deal for Siasia

    Kano Pillars chairman, Abba Yola has said the Nigerian champions have not penned down a coaching contract with former Super Eagles manager, Samson Siasia.

    Reports recently have linked the former Nigerian star with the technical adviser job at the Pyramid City side.

    Yola acknowledged that Siasia is a good friend of the house and will be considered for the plum job if he meets the management’s requirement for the job.

    “The management has not sat down to discuss on the issue of hiring anybody for the technical adviser’s job. Certainly, we’ll be in need of a sound technical adviser for our continental and domestic league assignments.

    “But we’re not dropping any member of the present technical crew that fetched the ticket for us. We’re only going to strengthen the technical bench.

    “We’ve been relating with coach Samson Siasia on personal grounds, there is established relationship between Siasia and I, he has visited us at several occasions to watch the side play. But there is no decision yet but if the management finds him worthy for the job why not.

    “Siasia is not the only person who has shown interest in the job, we’ve coaches outside Nigeria who have called us severally to make enquiries once we’re ready to commence the process we’ll make it public and get everybody involved.

    “Only the best will be good for Pillars in their challenge to give Nigerians worthy representation on the continent. Pillars may have been on the continent in two occasions without achieving their aims. We want to make the third attempt count by winning the title for Nigeria,” Yola told supersport.com.

    Kano Pillars are still on holidays and are expected back in camp for the new season in a week.

  • Pillars consider Siasia, foreign coach

    Pillars consider Siasia, foreign coach

    The management of Nigeria champions, Kano Pillars, is considering hiring ex-Eagles coach Samson Siasia or a foreign coach to take over the team.

    This month, Pillars successfully retained the Nigeria league after finishing top of the 20-team table with 63 points from 38 matches.

    Pillars chairman Abba Yola told MTNFootball.com: “We have plans to beef up the technical bench of the team and even the playing staff.

    “We are not sacking any of the coaches, but we want to bring more experience to the bench.

    “I have already opened discussions with my friends in Europe, Asia and United Arab Emirates to get good hands because we want to make sure we make an impact in the CAF Champions League next year.”

    Yola added,” We will also look within if we could not find a good and free coach.

    “Yes, Samson Siasia is a friend of the house and we are considering him, but that would depend on whether he is available or not because he has the experience and an addition like him to our bench would not be a bad one.”

    Incidentally, Siaisia handled Heartland in the group stage of the 2010 CAF Champions League.

    In 2009, the Pillars team handled by Slovenian Ivo Shaj reached the semi-finals of the competition. The team lost to eventual runners-up Heartland 5-0 over two legs.