NFF SACKS SIASIA (APOLOGY)
Yesterday, in our sister publication, Saturday Sun, the major story with the headline: 'NFF fires Siasia,' which is reproduced below, was mistakingly omitted owing to production mix-up. We apologise to our teeming readers for this production blunder.
The Nigeria Football Federation yesterday rose from its emergency congress to announce the sack of Samson Siasia as coach of the Super Eagles bringing to an end weeks of wide speculations about his future as Nigeria's coach.
Siasia was fired for failing to qualify Nigeria for next year's Africa Cup of Nations. In the contract he signed, the ex-international, as part of his terms of reference, was expected to guide the Nigerian team to the semi-finals of the 2012 Nations Cup.
Although the nation's football ruling body did not announce a replacement for Siasia yesterday, it disclosed that the Technical Committee would meet on Tuesday to come up with recommendations to that effect while the Executive board would sit on Wednesday to ratify and make public the new Super Eagles Manager.
Prior to yesterday's emergency congress of the NFF, the names of former Super Eagles' captains, Stephen Keshi and Sunday Oliseh had dominated the headlines in the sporting media as possible replacements for Siasia as Eagles' coach with the NFF said to be holding secret talk with the duo.
Meanwhile, Maurice Cooreman has renewed his interest to coach the Nigerian team stressing that he has what it take to turn around the dwindling fortunes of nation's football.
'It pains me that Nigerian football has continued to go down when I can do a lot to save the situation. I don't know what else I have to do to prove myself as good enough to coach the Super Eagles' the Belgian tactician said while reacting to Siasia' sack.
'I've watched with keen interest, the quality of coaches that have been contracted to coach the Super Eagles since I arrived Nigeria more than 10 year ago. I know the mentality of an average Nigerian player and I'm also familiar with the system and the people. I understand African football having lived in Nigeria for a long time and I can blend it with European tactics for positive results. I expect that my pedigree should speak for me. I'm ready to apply for the Super Eagles' job but will they let me show what I can do?' the Belgian tactician wondered.
Meanwhile, ex-international Felix Owolabi, has advised that what Nigeria needs now is a tactician and not a coach. The former Shooting Stars of Ibadan prolific forward who described Siasia as a victim of a bad system recalled that since the exit of Phillipe Troussier as Eagles' coach the process of engaging subsequent managers for the Nigerian team has been faulty.'It's unfortunate that Samson Siasia has become the next victim of a bad system. Unfortunately, he lacked the maturity to deal with some of the challenges he encountered on the job' Owoblow began in an exclusive chat with Saturday Sunsport.
'My history tells me that since the exit of Phillipe Troussier, the process of engaging subsequent coaches for the Super Eagles has been faulty. It took Otto Gloria and Father Tiko many years to build strong national teams for Nigeria. It was wrong to appoint Siasia to build a team during a competition period.
'To be honest, what Nigeria needs is a tactician and not a coach. Nigerian teams have always gone far in competitions by sheer physical strength and individual brilliance. But when the competition gets to the crunch and the team needs tactical assistance, the players become helpless on the pitch because the coaches cannot provide the tactical support.