Siasia Sets Deadline For Super Eagles

After unveiling his 25-man squad for the Nations Cup qualifier against Madagascar on 6 September in Abuja yesterday, Super Eagles’ Chief Coach, Samson Siasia, says he won’t tolerate lateness to camp.

A more determined Siasia told sports journalists at the Abuja National Stadium that any of the Eagles who fails to meet the Monday, 29 August deadline should count himself out of the trip to Antananarivo on Wednesday, 31 August.

The Eagles’ boss said: “Any player who fails to be in camp by Monday should rule himself out of the match. Our target is to win and nothing else, and whatever we have to do to ensure that we win, we have to do it. We are not going to take chances. We have to be focused and prepared for the match.

“If we fail to win, our chance of going to the Nations Cup would become very tight and difficult. Our arrangement is that if we don’t travel on Tuesday, we will certainly leave on Wednesday.”

Siasia also disclosed that their decision to assemble in Nigeria was to avert the recurrence of faulty travel arrangements to Addis Ababa, which almost cost them the qualifier against Ethiopia and the massive withdrawal in the aborted international friendly against Ghana due to visa hitches.

Meanwhile, former Nigerian internationals, Austin Okocha and Jonathan Akpoborie, have charged the Eagles to beat Madagascar to brighten their chances of qualifying for the Nations Cup next year.

Okocha, the former Eagles’ captain, said the players need to believe in themselves if they are to make progress ahead of Guinea, the current leaders of the group.

“We need to win our next match and win with wide margin if we are to top the group and guarantee our participation at the Nations Cup. And for us to score enough goals, we will have to take all the chances that come our way. I will advise the players to start perfecting how they take set pieces.

“They need to start practising how to take good free kicks. I am expecting a tough match out there, and when such a situation arises, it is through set pieces that a good team can make head way,” Okocha said.

Akpoborie said the Eagles have no choice but to beat Madagascar. He said: “It will be very bad if we fail to beat Madagascar. Personally, I expect a victory for our team.”

—Bamidele Olowosagba