Egypt tie: Siasia vows to axe more erring Eagles

Taiwo Adelu

Interim Chief Coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Samson Siasia has vowed to show any erring player out of the team as they prepare for the matches against the Pharaohs of Egypt in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series.

Siasia had on Monday barred defender Segun Oduduwa, midfielders Stanley Dimgba and Usman Mohammed from showing up at the Bolton White Apartments camp of the Super Eagles, after they reported late to the camp of the U-23 team without an earlier permission.

Siasia read the riot act that he won’t hesitate to bar more players from the camp because of indiscipline.

“We can only achieve what we set out to get if we are disciplined. I didn’t send the other three players away, I just demoted them because of indiscipline, coming late to the camp.

“We are a serious team and we must know what we are doing. This is a serious time and there should be no time to mess around, ” Siasia warned.

One of the players sent out from the Eagles’ camp, Usman Mohammed, confessed that the Chief Coach was right in sending them out of the team.

He said that they were indeed late to the camp of the U-23 Olympic team.

“The coach was right. We were late, though the reason for this was beyond our control. There is nothing we can do about it. Coach Siasia is still the one in charge at the U-23 team, ” Mohammed said.

All the three players were in the U-23 squad that won the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations in Senegal in December 2015.

The camp of the Super Eagles opened on Monday for the home-based players ahead of the double-header against Egypt, the first match coming up on Good Friday, 25 March in Kaduna, while the second tie takes place four days later in Alexandria in Egypt.