– Siasia wants to work with available
players only
– The coach promises to choose over-aged
players to areas that are needed
Head coach of the Nigeria U-23 team
Samson Siasia has disclosed that any of the
players invited from the domestic scene who
fails to report to camp by Monday, April 25,
should not bother coming to camp, as the
technical crew will work with only players
available to them and are willing to play at
the Olympics.
Coach Samson Siasia
Speaking after the team’s training session at
the practice pitch of the Abuja national
stadium, Coach Siasia said he does not want
to make the mistake of the past when
players who had been penciled-down by the
coaching crew were not available when
needed.
“I want to work with only the players on
ground, and to get them to the shape I want,”
Siasia reiterated.
On the issue of other teams in Nigeria’s
Group B already announcing plans to include
very experienced over-aged players, the U-23
gaffer said the technical crew and the
players are not scared of any individual
player, but would rather bother about the
quality of opposition at the Olympics’
football event.
“Yes, I have read of plans by Sweden to
include someone like Zlatan Ibramovich as one
of their over-aged players for the games. Good
for them, but as far as we are concerned, there
is nothing like fear, Siasia said.
“For us, we are trying to put up a team, and
that will determine which players we are going
to bring. We have played against players of
stronger calibre than Zlatan. We have played
against Lionel Messi and Di Maria and others.
“We would rather think of the fact that they
have a strong team which will play against us,
and not individual players.
“I don’t want to jump around and start
mentioning names, and later if those players
are not available, we would be disappointed.
So, I have to be sure of what I am doing and
when that time comes we will release the
names.”
On the issue of players like John Mikel Obi
and Ogenyi Onazi showing interest in playing
for Nigeria at the Olympics, Siasia remarked:
“I guess that because Mikel missed out the
last time, he wants to make up for it.
“Not only that, the last couple of games he
has played for the Super Eagles, he has been
playing very well, and if he wants to be part of
the team, of course he is welcome, but as I
said we have to look at the positions we really,
really need people.
“We are not going to select players because
they play for the Super Eagles or because they
are still under the age bracket. They have to
compete with those players who actually
qualified the team for the Olympics.”
Coach Siasia confirmed that he has sent a
provisional list of 60 players for the Games
He said: “If your name is not on that list, then
no Olympics for you. That’s why we put as
many names as we can, we don’t know the
Europe -based players whose clubs would
release for the Games”
The U-23 coach said he smiled and stood
near Brazil coach, Dunga after the draws at
the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro: “I
told myself this is the man I would be playing
against in the Final Match!”
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