4th February, 2011
Coach Samson Siasia may be enjoying a swell time as Super Eagles Chief Coach, but the inability of his players to score goals continues to be a source of worry to him.
The silver medal winning coach at 2008 Beijing Olympics, began his new job last month by assembling some of the best players in the Nigeria Premier League, NPL into Eagles Team B.
Withing six weeks, the Home Eagles, according to Siasia, have played about five friendly matches but their output was below his expectation.
“I have seen some of the best players in the Nigeria Premier League and I think they are adjusting to the modern technique of football. But they have scoring problems and it’s a major problem,†he told P.M.Sports during his recent visit to Lagos.
After discovering the anomaly, Siasia says he and his assistants; the Dutch, Simon Kalika, Yusuf and Ike Shorunmu have a herculean task as they embark on a mission to raising a formidable squad for the nation.
“We have to raise their game and instill a winning mentality into the players. Our rebuilding process has started from home and gradually, as we develop our players, the Nigerian League will benefit as time goes on. We are working on the players because they must score goals. There is no magic about football; the team must utilise scoring chances to win games.â€
The Eagles technical crew, as Siasia revealed, has started combing the nooks and crannies of the world to scout for young Nigerian players who can fit into the new process.
Siasia’s predecessors relied on foreign-based stars to prosecute national assignments, but he believes the Home Eagles deserve equal chances in the Eagles like other professionals.
Siasia’s first assignment as Eagles Coach takes place next Wednesday, 9 February when he leads Nigeria against Sierra Leone in a friendly match. Meanwhile, the Eagles defeated Federal Road Safety Football Club 2-0 in a friendly match played at the Abuja National Stadium yesterday.
—Tunde Oyedele