Siasia: It's Either Coach Or Nothing

Embattled Super Eagles’ Chief Coach, Samson Siasia, has expressed his unwillingness to work under the supervision of another coach.

P.M.Sports gathered that in the wake of Nigeria’s non-qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, is under pressure to either sack Siasia or make him play second fiddle to a foreign technical adviser.

Speaking on Brila FM early today, the former FC Nantes forward, however, declared that he would not work under another coach.

“I don’t want to work under anybody. I cannot change what has happened but I can’t work under anybody. I am sorry for what happened and if I am allowed to continue I hope things will change for the better,” said the former Nigerian international.

The NFF technical committee headed by Chris Green is meeting tomorrow in Abuja to decide the fate of Siasia.

Meanwhile, one of Siasia’s contemporaries in the Eagles, Jonathan Akpoborie, has said that the NFF should be blamed for Nigeria’s woes in the Nations Cup qualifying series. He absolved Siasia of any blame, adding that the technical committee should be held responsible for not living up to its responsibility as the power house of Nigerian football.

The former VFL Wolfsburg striker argued that members of the technical committee should take the blame since they dictate to the coach on technical matters.

“Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the Nations Cup is not the fault of Siasia. The buck stops on the table of the technical committee because they are the people doing the planning. They are the people that are telling the coach what to do,” said the former Julius Berger player.

The former FC Hansa Rostock forward said that he blames Siasia for not rejecting their suggestions.

—Bimbo Ajayi