Siasia Downplays Argentina Friendly

Coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Samson Siasia has declared that he won’t lose sleep over his team facing a tough challenge from Argentina in an international friendly match scheduled for Abuja National Stadium on 1 June.

To Siasia, his priority is how he will secure the three maximum points in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ethiopia in Addis Ababa on 5 June.

“I think Argentina have good players and they are a good team that I will like to play against. If my team can beat them in the friendly fine, but my priority is to go to Ethiopia and secure victory in Addis Ababa,” he said.

“I’m glad that the game against Argentina is coming few days to our crucial game in the Nations Cup qualifying series. There is no doubt that it will be a good test for the players. At least, we’ll be able to see some mistakes in the team and make correction in our next match.

“We are going to use the friendly tie against Argentina to prepare the Eagles for the Ethiopia match. So my immediate priority is to put my team together to win our match against Ethiopia,” he said.

Last week, Siasia released a 26-man list ahead of the friendly against Argentina and the Nations Cup qualifier against Ethiopia.

The list has been generating controversy with the exclusion of in-form West Brom of England’s star, Osaze Odemwingie.

Top on Siasia’s list are captain Joseph Yobo, Obinna Nsofor, whose West Ham team escaped relegation in the English Premier League yesterday, AC Milan bound Taye Taiwo and John Mikel Obi, who lost his coach in Chelsea yesterday.

—Taiwo Adelu