Tag: Siasia

Dream Team VI  Chief Coach Samson Siasia has sounded it loud and clear that he won’t be relying on the foreign based professional players to prosecute the 2015 All African Games qualifiers since the competition is not spelt out in FIFA’S calendar.

Siasia disclosed in Abuja shortly after the team’s evening screening exercise that in as much as he extended invitations to 47 pros he knew quite well that it won’t be easy securing the release of these players for the qualification matches of the African tournament.

He also boasted that he had screened a lot of players and has gotten a number of quality players to start work with in earnest. He confessed that they have at least about 40 quality players already screened and could form a strong home based squad.

“I think I need to make these clarifications that we are not relying solely on the foreign based players to form the team that would prosecute the All African Games and other competitions that the team would be playing.

“But I consider it proper to give opportunities all Nigerian players within the age bracket home and abroad, a reason why I screened about 1,000 players here in Abuja already. With the caliber of players we have penciled down from the exercise I believe we will mould a good team that would be a pride of all.

“So I expect at least some of the invited players from abroad to come for the exercise but if they refused to come for the exercise I think we have enough pool here to do the work and deliver too. I have seen good players here already but like I always say it is elimination by substitution until we get the players that can play the way we want them to play and that can as well form a solid team that can give us the result we crave for”, Siasia disclosed.

So far two foreign based players have been training with the U- 23 national team for the past four days and they are: Aminu Umar, a midfield player with Samsunspor FC, Turkey, and another midfielder, Samuel. M. Ayinoko who plays for Angelholms FC of Sweden.

The number of foreign-based players invited to the camp of the national men’s U-23 football team, Dream Team VI increased from two to seven as the coach Samson Siasia led technical crew battle to separate the boys from the men.

A release by the media officer of the team Timi Ebikagboro disclosed that the latest arrivals are Nansil Selbol of Sporting Kansas, Fred Friday of LSK Norway, Amuzie Stanley of Sassuolo Calsio, Italy, Oladele Oshobe of Lokomotive Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and Atanda Sodiq of FK Apolonia FC, Albania.

Their presence in camp has automatically upped the competition for shirts leading to Coach Siasia expressing delight with the extra push and drive being put by the players.

“This is exciting. I love what I am seeing as both the foreign and home-based players are engaged in keen rivalry to make the team. I’m over-joyed that those we picked from the home-front have not been intimidated by the presence of their foreign brothers. This to me is a very welcome and healthy development for my technical crew as we will at the end of the day get a team that the nation will be proud of,” Siasia heartily said.

“Some persons have questioned our decision to organise this screening exercise for both the home and foreign-based players. But from what we have on ground, I feel justified in the decision we took in going through this route to get a team for this country. I beg Nigerians to believe in us and support this team. Our intention is to have a bunch of players who will be available for the nation for another 10-15 years baring injuries,” Siasia said.

The former Super Eagles coach said that more players would join the camp fromDecember 14 while those who are involved in club duties would join in January.

Meanwhile, the friendly game being planned for the team this weekend in Bauchi that would have seen the Dream Team VI tackle Wikki Tourist and an unnamed club has been shifted till next week (Tuesday).

Chief Coach of the U- 23 national team popularly called Dream Team VI Samson Siasia has said his intention to give the opportunity to many Nigerian players home and abroad in order to get a formidable team prompted him to send invitations to former Golden Eaglets star, Kelechi Iheanacho and the rest of the Europe based players he sent invitations to recently.

Siasia, who was not happy that some people misconstrued his good intentions of giving opportunities to as many foreign based Nigerian players as possible, said he knew it would be difficult for the overseas based clubs to release their players for the screening but believed that some would still make their way for the screening exercise.

The coach also made clarifications on the invitations extended to the overseas based players.

“I extended invitations to the foreign based players not for screening but to see them at close quarters to see what stuff they are made of and their fitness level, skills and talents and determine how they could be useful additions to the team we are moulding.

National U-23 coach, Samson Siasia who is currently screening players for the Olympic team has admitted that the process has been strenuous.

The former Super Eagles handler was however quick to add that it was paramount to give all the players a fair chance to showcase their talent.

SiaOne made this known while hailing AFU Football Academy after they emerged the winner of the 2014 edition of Nigeria’s foremost grassroots football competition, The Achievas Cup

competition, defeating Ethiopia 5-4 on penalties.

“I have been impressed with the standard of play here and I have seen a couple of players that should be giving a trial,” he told to the media.

“But I must admit it has not been easy staying under the sun from 8am to 6pm daily looking out for quality players,”

In addition to being crowned champions of the third edition of the tourney, the team also walked away with the grand prize of N300,000.

With the victory, the AFU Football Academy team has its name written in the annals of the Football tournament.  Second placed Ethiopia FC walked away with the sum of N200,000. The football tournament’s third placed team, Kufre FC, was rewarded with N100,000 million, after edging Samba FC 2-1 in the competition’s bronze medal match.

For his outstanding display of dazzling dribbles and goals, Onyeka Chukwuka of AFU FC emerged the competition’s Most Valuable Player. With a tally of five goals in the competition, Festus Ajah of St Mary’s Academy was awarded with the competition’s Golden Boot award. Both Players also got cash rewards while Kufre Fc’s Christian Nwoke won the golden glove award.

Speaking on the event, Mr. Paul Chiori, expressed satisfaction at the organization of the football tournament. He described the tournament as Achievas Entertainment’s contribution to the development of grassroots football in Nigeria. The competition went round the nooks and crannies of the country, seeking for the best talents and we are happy to have these young lads as champions.”

Coach of Nigeria U23 team Samson Siasia has said he expects Dolphins and the Nigeria league to clear the age discrepancies of star striker Emem Eduok.

He further disclosed that once the issue is sorted out, the player is welcome back to the team to fight for a place.

Clarifying his position on the player, Siasia said: “The player came and never trained with the team as he said he was down with injury, and sought for permission to go and get himself properly treated before he returned, a request which I granted as I want the best from my players.”

Speaking further, the coach said he invited Eduok based on the fact that he knows the player was part of the team at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup and is aware that he is under the age.

“But when his name was sent to the League Management Company for clarification like we did with the names of all the players invited from the Premier League, we noticed that his date of birth in his license sent to the LMC showed him to be 23 years of age, so the problem is between his club and the LMC, which I think should be sorted out in the interest of the player.”

 According to Siasia he needs all the best players the country could offer, that is why they embarked on an open screening exercise to unearth any good player, so he does not see how they would be shutting out a particular player who has shown to be one of the best this season.

Meanwhile, Siasia has said that there is no going back on a Friday (today) closing date for the screening of all players from the local scene.

He said due to the short time available for the technical crew, they need to concentrate on the foreign-based players expected to start arriving the camp of the team from Saturday 6th December, as they will be having their screening from Monday 8th, December at the FIFA Goal Project, Abuja.

About a thousand players  from academies and leagues  have passed through the screening exercise of the U- 23 national team handled by the Chief Coach Samson Siasia at the Abuja National Stadium Goal Project pitch.

Siasia who disclosed this to SportingLife in Abuja yesterday planned to see as many players before settling for the 35 players he would need to concentrate on from first week of December.

“The U- 23 national team is for players that are within the age bracket and you know that we have a large pool of players that falls within that range, But in as much as I would like to give opportunities to so many players but the proper camping would commence in the first week of December because we don’t have the luxury of time anymore since we would be playing our first qualification match in February next year which is just less than two months away,” Siasia disclosed.

Siasia also confessed that he was thrilled with what he saw in the players that came for the screening exercise. The players from the academies have been giving the league players run for their money in the team.

“The good thing in the screening so far is that the players from the academies have proved to be quality players. They have been giving the players from the Nigerian leagues run for their money. So I hope to see more intense fight for a place in the 35-man squad that we are hoping to get to kickstart the real work and preparations for the All African Games qualifiers,” the Coach popularly called Sia-One told SportingLife.

The Director General of the National Sports Commission, Honourable Gbenga Elegbeleye has thrown weight behind the Chief Coach of the U- 23 national team, Samson Siasia to lead the team successes.

Elegbeleye in a surprise visit to the team’s Abuja National Stadium Goal Project Center training ground Tuesday evening expressed his optimism about the quality of the coaches appointed to handle the team as well as the abundant talents that have been undergoing trials in the team’s camp for over a week now.

“With the caliber of coaches appointed to coach this team namely Samson Siasia, Fatai Amoo and Alloy Agu I am confident of having a good team that can make Nigerians happy and proud. I have seen some (boys) players here (at the Goal Project Center, Abuja) who are eager to prove that they can play for Nigeria’s U- 23 national football team. But it is the technical crew led by Samson Siasia that is saddled with the responsibility of moulding a strong team that can make Nigerians proud by winning laurels.

“I have absolute confidence in the technical prowess of the Chief Coach Samson Siasia to do a good job with this team based on the fact that he has done it before. If you recall he led this same team to win the silver medal of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China and missed out from clinching the god medal by whisker having lost 1-0 narrowly to the eventual winners, ArgentinaI team led by football star Lionel Messi. So I believe with everybody’s support he can do it again.

“The leadership of the National Sports Commission as we have been supporting all national teams in the country will give this team the necessary support it requires to first qualify for the African championships, do well in the competition after qualification and also hope to see the team in the 2016 Olympics,” Elegbeleye assured.

Former Super Eagles’ Captain and Coach, Samson Siasia, will begin screening players for the team to compete at next year’s All –Africa Games.

Siasia will also be screening players  for the CAF U-23 Championship (taking place in DR Congo, also next year), and also qualify for the Men’s Football Tournament of the 2016 Olympic Games through the CAF U-23 Championship.

There will be three batches of players, 39 for Sunday in in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Sunday, another 39 and then a further 38 to follow.

According to a statement from the NFF, Siasia has explained that each batch will spend only three days in camp before the other, with the selected ones among the lot to convene a proper camp late December. All the players are to report at FIFA Technical Centre, Abuja.

FIRST BATCH (23 – 25 November)

Goalkeepers: Emmanuel Daniel (Enugu Rangers); Kasim Yekini (Bayelsa United)

Defenders: Semiu Liadi (Enyimba FC); Stanley Okorom (36 Lions); Erhun Obanor (Insurance FC); Mohammed Gidado (Wikki Tourists); Etim Mathew (Enugu Rangers); Wasiu Kadiri (Akwa Starlets); Chinedy Okuotu (Insurance FC); Chris Madaki (Giwa FC)

Midfielders: Harrison Madu (Wikki Tourists); Abbas Hussein (Wikki Tourists); Samuel Adegbenro (Kwara United); Ifeanyi Mathew (El-Kanemi Warriors); Nafiu Ibrahim (Kano Pillars); Tiongli Tonbara (Bayelsa United); Paul Onobi (Sunshine Stars); Itchu (Warri Wolves); Emmanuel Obinna (Stationery Stores) Forwards: Samson Adeleye (Niger Tornadoes); Samuel Agba (Enugu Rangers); Idris Mohammed (Wikki Tourists); Junior Ajayi (3SC); Nuru Adebayor (Stationery Stores); Godwin Obaje (Mighty Jets); Barnabas Imenger (Lobi Stars); Idris Ahmed (Mighty Jets); Uche Ihearulam (Lobi Stars)

Others: Chigozie obi (Calabar Rovers); Ahmed Sani (Unattached); Victor Yakubu (Wikki Tourists); Tunde Afolabi (Spotlight FC); Chukweh Samuel (Bayelsa United); Chinedu Obino (COD FC); Umunna Emmanuel (Zamfara United); Friday Enejoh Jacob (Supreme Court); Ajibola Otegbeye (3SC); Wasiu Alalade (First Bank); Mohammed Wekasiu (El-Kanemi Warriors); Nura Abubakar (Kaduna United); Israel Daniel (Prime FC).