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Tag: Siasia

  • Siasia will succeed with Eagles – Adepoju

    Siasia will succeed with Eagles – Adepoju

    Former Nigeria midfielder, Mutiu Adepoju, has hailed the appointment of Samson Siasia as Super Eagles coach, saying he will succeed with the team.

    Siasia was re-appointed Nigeria coach, hours after Sunday Oliseh resigned from the position and he will be assisted by Nigeria U-20 coach Emmanuel Amuneke, Salisu Yusuf  and Alloy Agu ahead of next month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Egypt.

    The Super Eagles sit second in Group G, two points off the Pharaohs at the summit, and must avoid any slip to avoid missing out of the biennial African football showpiece.

    And Adepoju argued that Siasia will rejig the team and succeed in his second stint.

    “His appointment is okay and I am sure he will do a good job,” Adepoju told Goal.

    “Definitely he will surely deliver not minding the situation we have found ourselves. He has been there before and has the experience.”

     

  • Siasia invites 30 for Brazil friendly

    Siasia invites 30 for Brazil friendly

    Dream Team VI coach, Samson Siasia, has invited 30 players for the upcoming friendly against Brazil next month, with 21 foreign-based professionals making the list.

    Those invited are – Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi, Barcelona fullback Godswill Ekpolo, CD Feirense pair of Etebo Oghenekaro and Dele Alampasu, and CS Sfaxien star, Junior Ajayi, allnigeriasoccer.com reports.

    KAA Gent new recruit, Peter Olayinka, who is undergoing rehabilitation after damaging his ligament, was named to the roster announced on Friday afternoon.

    Former Torino starlet, Sergio Uyi, is in line to make his international debut having made the list.

    Nine home-based players led by Emmanuel Daniel, Erhun Obanor and Sincere Seth have been invited for the get-together.

    Home Based:

    Emmanuel Daniel, Yusuf Mohammed, Segun Oduduwa, Erhun Obanor, Sincere Seth, Ndifreke Effiong, Ubong Ekpai, Bright Onyedikachi and Stanley Dimgba.

     

    Foreign Based:

    Dele Alampasu, Stanley Amuzie, Usman Mohammed, Azubuike Okechukwu, Sadiq Popoola, Etebo Oghenekaro, Saviour Godwin, Aminu Umar, Alex Iwobi, Iyayi Believe, Junior Ajayi, Taiwo Awoniyi, Peter Olayinka, Theophilus ‎ Solomon, Godswill Ekpolo, Sergio Uyi, Ovbokha Agboyi, Nathan Oduwa, Musa Mohammed and Saturday Ekiego.

  • RIO 2016 OLYMPICS: Mikel should talk to me, says Siasia

    RIO 2016 OLYMPICS: Mikel should talk to me, says Siasia

    Chelsea star , 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 said.

  • Dream Team VI vs Brazil friendly: Siasia picks Iwobi, Awoniyi

    •Ajayi,  Oduwa, Olayinka too

    Chief Coach of the Dream Team VI, Samson Siasia has concluded plans to present a strong team against Brazil in an international friendly tentatively fixed for March 24,  which falls under the FIFA window.

    Siasia, like he did when as the Chief Coach of the Super Eagles, led the national team to beat Argentina 4-1 at the Abuja National Stadium, although without top stars like Lionel Messi, Tevez, Higuain, Mascherano is also bent on presenting a killer squad against Brazil in a match that would take place in a yet to be named venue in Brazil.

    The former Super Eagles coach on arrival from the United States of America where he went on vacation told SportingLife in Abuja that he has vowed to utilise  the FIFA free window to play international friendly matches to build a stronger team that won’t disappoint Nigeria in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil when the Olympic Football Tournament kicks off in August this year.

    “We have barely six months to the Olympics and I want to ensure we play international friendly matches within the FIFA window between now and August. That way we can bring our targeted players to play together and blend well. But this can only be done if they play together frequently and against good opponents”, Siasia disclosed.

    The Dream Team VI boss is ready to send letters of invitation to 19-year-old Glasgow Rangers of Scotland loanee, Nathan Oduwa who has rejoined his club Tottenham Hotspur and 20-year-old KAA Gent of Belgium forward, Peter Olayinka.

    Oduwa made 19 appearances for Rangers before returning to his English Premiership club, Tottenham.

    Other players that Siasia is looking to invite for the friendly includes the captain of the team, Azubuike Okechukwu, Alex Iwobi of Arsenal, Taiwo Awoniyi, Junior Ajayi and Victor Osimhen”, SportingLife reliably gathered.

  • 2016 Rio Olympics: Siasia returns

    2016 Rio Olympics: Siasia returns

    •Waits for Minister’s clearance on camping

    Head Coach of the Dream Team VI, Samson Siasia returned to the country on Tuesday night from his base in Atlanta Georgia in the United States of America (USA) to start full preparations for the Rio Olympics Football Tournament slated for August.

    The coach told SportingLife in Abuja yesterday that he is waiting for the go ahead order from  Sports Minister Solomon Dalung before he could commence camping for the Olympics. He also met with the General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Sanusi Muhammed to discuss his programme with the football body.

    “I have given my programmes to the National Sports Commission (NSC) through the NFF. We were supposed to commence camping on Monday, but as I speak with you I am still waiting for the NSC to approve the programme. I don’t know how long we have to wait. If we wait for another week, then it would be half of the month gone again.

    “The Olympics is not going to be easy because it is not a FIFA programme so it may be very difficult to secure the release of players from their respective clubs. If we want to invite the players we have to make sure we get letters from the clubs because we need these players for the Olympics.

    “If we use these players for the friendly matches under FIFA calendar, these players may not be released by their clubs for the Olympics. So we are trying to get the commitments from the clubs to give us the letters of assurance that come August they will release them to us”, Siasia disclosed.

  • Siasia hails Iheanacho’s hat-trick feat with Man City

    Siasia hails Iheanacho’s hat-trick feat with Man City

    Dream Team VI handler, Samson Siasia has hailed Manchester City forward, Kelechi Iheanacho for scoring a hat-trick for his club in the fourth round of the FA Cup in England on Saturday.

    The 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup Most Valuable Player scored the hat-trick for his club, Manchester City in the FA Cup fourth round against Aston Villa in the 4th minute, penalty in the 24th minute and 74th minute after which Raheem Sterling completed the routing in the 75th minute to move their club to the fifth round of the competition.

    Speaking to SportingLife from his home in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America yesterday night, the coach praised the player and charged him to work very hard to snatch a shirt in the first 11 of the club. He also disclosed that he has been monitoring the rest of Nigerian stars that are eligible to play for the Dream Team VI in this year’s Olympics football tournament and he is happy that they are doing very well in their respective clubs abroad.

    “I am happy with the performance of Kelechi (Iheanacho) so far. I have watched all his matches and he has really matured and beginning to fulfill his potentials. I was particularly happy that he can score a hat-trick in a competition of that magnitude- the FA Cup and more so playing against a Premiership side. This will make his coach to think twice and start giving more responsibility in his team which is good for the boy and Nigeria too.

    “Alex Iwobi has been impressive in the colours of Arsenal too and also Isaac Success of FC Granada. This is a wonderful feeling for me and I hope they continue to wax stronger and pray against injury”, Siasia told  SportingLife”.

  • Siasia plans Euro camp ahead of Olympics

    Siasia plans Euro camp ahead of Olympics

    Olympic Team coach, Samson Siasia, said he plans to set up training camp and test matches in Europe as part of his team’s preparations for the Olympic Games in August.

    Nigeria, who won the African U-23 Nations Cup in November last year, last featured at the Olympics in 2008.

    The ex-Super Eagles coach said the African champions will commence preparations for the Olympics in the first week of February.

    Siasia, who also led the Flying Eagles to the African title and runner-up position at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Holland in 2005, said he intends to utilize all the FIFA windows available to him and his assistants to see other players at close quarters.

    “For now my plans are to utilize fully all the FIFA windows beginning with the one in March, with the hope of taking players selected to an accessible country in Europe where all the overseas -based players can come with ease, play one or two friendly games and then have them return to their respective clubs,” he told africanFootball.com.

    Siasia said he plans to use the February camping in Abuja to see any new player who could add value to the team that won the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations in Senegal last month.

    “Since we qualified for the football event of the Rio Olympics, a lot of players both at home and abroad have been calling me that they want to play for the country, so myself and my assistants intend to use the first week of camping to see these players who will bear the cost of their trip to the camp and accommodate themselves,” he added.

     

     

  • RIO 2016 OLYMPICS: Siasia denies Mikel request

    RIO 2016 OLYMPICS: Siasia denies Mikel request

    Samson Siasia has said he  never discussed including Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel, into Nigeria’s 2016 Olympic football squad with anyone.

    The local media was awash with stories that Mikel could be a shock inclusion to the squad with the players reportedly informing an unnamed “source” about his intention to play at the Olympics for Nigeria.

    Siasia has now moved to deny the rumours insisting that no one knows the identities of the players who will make the list.

    “Coach Siasia has not mentioned the name of any player who will be included in the Olympic team so I want to advise the Nigerian media to be patient.

    “When the list of players to be invited is released, it will be made available to the media. This issue of trying to be smart or trying to get exclusive (stories) is not going to help the team.

    “They will only heat up the polity because if eventually,  Siasia does not invite Mikel, there will be talk of the coach having a grudge against the Chelsea player. The coach has neither invited anyone, nor discussed who he plans to invite to the team,” Nigeria’s Under-23 team spokesman, Timi Ebikagboro told supersport.com.

    Mikel was excluded from the 2008 Nigeria Olympic team by Siasia after the Chelsea man failed to take part in the qualifiers for the tournament.

  • Siasia considering Ighalo, Musa for Olympics

    Siasia considering Ighalo, Musa for Olympics

    Olympic Team Coach, Samson Siasia, has hinted he is looking at the possibility of getting Super Eagles skipper, Ahmed Musa and striker Odion Ighalo to feature at next year’s Olympics as overage players.

    FIFA allows three over age players to feature at the Olympics, africanFootball.com reports.

    Chelsea star Mikel Obi has already declared his interest to play in the Olympics.

    Siasia said he hopes to draft players playing regularly for their European clubs for the Games.

    “I’m still undecided on the areas that the overage players would be needed, but I’m happy that the likes of Ighalo (Odion), (Ahmed) Musa, are in top form now and I hope they will sustain it until the Olympics,” africanFootball.com quoted Siasia as saying during a television programme.

  • Siasia vows to get stronger team for Olympics

    Siasia vows to get stronger team for Olympics

    • Says mother’s kidnap destabilised him

    The Chief Coach of Dream Team VI, Samson Siasia has vowed to mould a very strong team that would be a pride to Africa and Nigeria when the Olympic Football Tournament kicks off next summer.

    Now that we have qualified for the Olympics we need to go all out to solidify this team. The boys have done so well so most of them will be retained while we will bring in quality players that can add strength to this team. This time around we are facing the world and we should be ready to face the world. This time around the biggest target should be winning the gold medal”, Siasia confessed to SportingLife.

    Siasia, as blunt as ever, also revealed that there were lots of hiccups and predicaments that made winning the competition very difficult. He, however, showered encomiums on his players for  weathering the storm to emerge African Champion.

    “Honestly the preparations weren’t the best but we focused on qualifying at least for the Olympics. We had only 12 days in Gambia which other countries that also participated had two months and more for preparing for the same tournament. We had other issues too but I was looking at second place or worst scenario the third place to get to Brazil so that we can have a strong team before the start of the Olympics in Rio. But thank God for these boys, for their perseverance and hard work which eventually paid off.

    “Winning the Africa U- 23 Cup of Nations trophy makes me feel very good. I am relieved not just qualifying for next year’s Olympics in Rio, Brazil but winning the trophy at stake too. It is like putting the icing on a cake. So I am happy that we had a lot of prayers, text messages from Nigerians who actually prayed for us to win

    “We did not worry about the problems we faced during the competition but we played like Champions and we eventually emerged Champions. This was due to hard work on our part and most importantly the prayers of soccer loving Nigerians who supported us all the way and God actually listened to their prayers. So I am very proud of my players and our fans too.

    “As regards the kidnap issue of my mother, sincerely speaking it took a lot out of me. I knew there was nothing I could do in Bayelsa while I was in Senegal. I just tried to think about something else that can inspire me to do well with the team that I have. I was looking at trying to qualify the team for the Olympics and not worried about the kidnap of my mother. As at that time there was nothing I could do about it. I was just calling home and trying to know how we can get her out.

    “Finally it paid off because we qualified for the Olympics and actually won the Cup and my mother was also released. So it was three in one victory. I just thank God for what he has done for me and the team. The prayers of Nigerians and the hard work on the part of the boys eventually paid off”, Siasia told SportingLife.