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Am Done With Nigeria- Says Siasia by Lambadostic(m): 9:02am On Aug 27, 2016 |
Coach of the National U-23 team, Samson Siasia is
certainly not new to Nigerian football. His latest foray
where he led the team to win Nigeria’s only medal at the
just concluded Rio 2016 Olympic Games was not the first
time the former Super Eagles striker will be on the
saddle. Before now he had coached the same team to
the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games where he won the silver
medal after another silver medal in Under 20 World Cup
in Holland. In this last assignment for the Rio Olympics,
the sports minister Solomon Dalung called him names
for taking the team to Atlanta for preparation.
Before then the same minister publicly condemned him
for dropping some players who played in the African
Championship in Senegal. The minister wanted all those
who played in Senegal to be in Rio their fitness level or
injuries notwithstanding. The Nigeria Football Federation
owed him salaries running up to five months. He never
got the support he needed from the ministry to the
federation. In this interview with Correspondent Jude
Opara, Siasia speaks on his future in Nigeria and many
more. Excerpts.
Welcome from Rio Olympics. How does it feel?
It feels good
because the
end justifies the
means. We
wanted the gold
but we are
still happy with
the bronze
because it
made Nigerians
happy. The
minister
accused you of
child trafficking
for taking the
team to Atlanta without his knowledge or consent.
How can I take a national team out of the country
without their knowledge of the NFF and the Sports
Ministry? I really don’t know were that was coming
from.We had the plan to travel from Atlanta to Brazil on
the 29th of July. But the agent who was handling that did
not get us the chartered flight or pay for our tickets, but
nothing actually happened and that was when I, on my
own, decided to contact an agent, Greg.
But the guy said he would not do anything until he saw
that the money was paid into his account. After three
days, the guy said he was no longer interested and even
told other operators not to deal with us that we were not
a serious people.
Back to the camp in Atlanta. How was it?
The first 10 days was like a hell because we had to
struggle to pay for hotel accommodation and feeding
because the person, Bunmi, who opted to assist us did
not get the necessary support he expected. But after the
fist 10 days the Ministry came through the NFF and paid
for our bills. But we were stranded in Atlanta because
the money they said they paid to one Poopola for us to
travel never came and nobody has heard anything about
it.
What was your level of communication with the both the
NFF and the Ministry while in Atlanta?
No, nobody called me from the ministry. The Minister
was dealing with Mikel may be because he was the
captain of the Olympic team. But when we had the plane
issue, the Vice President called and I spoke with him like
two times, the Finance Minister called and indeed the
first person to call was the Minister for Information, Lai
Mohammed. I must say he did a nice job to see how to
solve our problem because I think the President heard
about our plight and instructed that they should find a
way to solver the problem.
They were, I believe, embarrassed because the issue was
even on CNN every time. However, the chartered flight
thing never worked out because the guy they were
discussing with called me and we tried to see how to
arrange the fight but there was no money sent to him
and so it didn’t work out too. So the option we had was
to arrive Rio the very day we were to play and that could
have resulted in a walk-over of our team.
We had a chartered 36-seater flight that was to take us to
arrive Rio by 2 o’clock while our game was at 9 o’clock.
But the players were afraid of that flight because it was
very small and when we got to the airport, Delta called
thought the same Bunmi guy. In fact, they were
supposed to partner with Delta but I don’t know what
happened. When they heard of our plight they called him
to offer a big plane to fly us the next day so as to arrive
five hours before the match.
Indeed we were already at the airport to fly that small
plane which was paid for by a friend of mine, but when
the players heard that Delta was coming, they insisted
that we should watt for it. In fact they were almost dying
out of fear. When I called Mikel to tell him about the
development, he said ‘I beg, please let us wait for
tomorrow for the bigger plane which is safer and better’.
All the players were happy and excited that we were not
going to fly that small plane and perhaps that is the
reason they came out to play the way they did with all
their mind.
Indeed Delta did a great job. Even when the CBN 46
came to the hotel, we refused to tell them about our
problems because it was about Nigeria, even though
every thing was already in the public domain. Talking to
them would not have changed anything.
Now Delta said the cost of flying us was about $250,000
dollars but that they were not charging us. They said if
we had it the money could be paid to any charity
organization of mine or Mikel but we have not seen
anything and that appears like another fraud. We took
pictures with Delta to promote them and thank them for
their support. I am telling you what actually happened.
We are still waiting to see where the money that was
meant for us to fly to Brazil has gone to. Nobody has
said anything. The federal government sent the money to
the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) and the NOC said
they sent the money to the airline in Florida which up till
now they have not received anything, even the airline is
planning to sue them for breach of contract because they
were supposed to pay some money to them even if they
were to cancel the arrangement. That is even another
issue. We don’t even know how they are going to settle
that.
The Minister categorically said he never knew where you
were and that you were engaging in human trafficking, is
that true?
(Laughs) I don’t know what he was talking about. When I
first heard about human trafficking and such stuff, I was
angry because the Minister knew that we were going to
Atlanta. If not that they stole my phone, I would have
shown to you his text message to me before we
travelled. That day the U-20 defeated us 3-2 in our last
warm-up match, the Minister sent me a text that I should
come so that we can chat but when I went they said he
went to the Villa.
He knew exactly what was going on because there was
no way he would not know because the Olympic team is
statutorily under his control, it is his baby and that has
been the way it is. So I don’t understand why he should
say I was engaging in child trafficking.
How did you feel about that statement?
As I said before I felt very bad but later I didn’t want it to
bother me because I know it is not true and I had other
more important things to worry about than such
comments.
Would you say that yours trip to Atlanta has been
justified?
Yes because they say that the end justifies the means
and if not for that it would have been very annoying
because after working very hard for two years without
anything to show for it would have been disastrous. It
would have been a waste of time and effort. I am happy
because in spite of all that we went through both here at
home and in Atlanta, this is the only team that won a
medal for the country.
It felt so good when the Nigerian team was called
alongside the Brazilian and German national teams
with the Nigerian flag hoisted there, that is what we
were talking about, putting Nigeria where so many
other countries didn’t have the chance to be and that
is why I say that these boys need to be commended
for what they did. This is something that money
cannot even buy.
What did you really play for?
We didn’t play for money and in fact there was even
no money to play for. So what I told the boys was to
ensure they played for their country and for their
pride and future so that they could get better clubs
because that is the only thing to point to motivate
them, given our situation. What was it like in camp?
We were on and off the camp for two years with only
two training jerseys. You know everything was just
wrong from the beginning. The only good thing from
this camp is the fact that the boys really came out to
play and Mikel showed character and leadership
among the younger boys. We worked together to
ensure that we got something out of them.It appears
that the team has been disbanded because there was
no official reception and send forth of the team, so
what is the next thing for Samson Siasia?
Personally, I was not really surprised that they did
not welcome us because most of them were actually
waiting and praying for us to fail but we disappointed
them by winning that medal. But most sports loving
Nigerians who were not on the saddle came out on
their own and they were the ones that really
appreciated what we did.
Look at this way, if things were done properly, they
should have at least informed the Lagos State
government that the Olympic team was arriving so that
they could welcome us on behalf of the government but
nobody told them anything. There was no connection
from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) or the
Ministry of Sports. They knew we were coming. It was
only one staff of the ministry that was sent to take us to
hotel.
What is your next step with the national team?
My next step is that I am done with Nigeria for now. You
can’t keep going to a place where they don’t appreciate
you. It does not worth it. Sometimes it is not about the
money but the approach. They seem not to appreciate
the sacrifices. I know how much I have sacrificed since
the team began camping two years ago. How can you
keep going to people who don’t appreciate you? It does
not make sense, so I am done for now. I have to go
somewhere else where they will appreciate what I have
done and what I can do and pay me the respect that I
deserve.
But many Nigerians out there still appreciate you.
I know and that is why I keep coming to do the dirty jobs
for them because of my numerous fans out there but I
can't just continue because those fans are not the policy
makers. How can you keep toiling for five months
without even your salary? Nothing has changed in the
last two years.
It has been from bad to worse, so we must sit down and
do something about the structure of Nigerian football
and by extension sports in general. It doesn't worth it to
work with the people running sports now in Nigeria.
From the Federation to the sports ministry. They don't
have it and will not give what they don't have. It feels
bad.
It is like you already have somewhere in mind.
No, I don’t have any place in mind. I just have to go an d
rest for two months and while I am resting, I will not be
the one looking for where to go. There are people who
will be doing that. But for me I am done with Nigeria
until things change. Imagine any time they have a
problem, they will call on me to come and help but they
will use me and later dump me.
I have not started any team of the Super Eagles from the
beginning, not even one time. I want to thank them very
very much. Even before I returned from the Olympics,
the only car they gave me, they took it away from my
wife. That is just awesome. That is not how to treat
someone who was out there seeking glory for the nation.
Let them eat their national team.
Are you saying you will never come to work for
Nigeria again?
No not now, I will not change my mind when the same
people are there doing the same thing over and over
again. If the right people come on board tomorrow then
I may reconsider my position because I am also a
Nigerian but truly, I will no longer work with these
people.
We are out of the AFCON, U-20 and U-17 teams have all
crashed out, what hope do we have to qualify for the
2018 World Cup?
I wish the country well, but before we talk of qualifying
we must do the right thing. When we don’t do the right
thing and still want to qualify, then it does not work that
way. Yes we pray, but other countries also pray and God
is a fair God and I believe God will most likely answer
the prayer of the person who has worked and prayed. To
succeed you must plan and if you don’t plan in any
human endeavour, you have planed to fail.
But they have hired a new Coach and that is the first step
towards succeeding
Well they have hired a coach, I wish them well but what
time does he have to even know the players he intends
to work with? I sincerely pray that he qualifies us for the
World Cup.
But there is this talk out there that the reason they
usually go for foreign coaches is because you
Nigerian coaches always collect money to invite
players to camp or collect money from players.
That is cheep blackmail. No coach who knows his onion
will take money and take people who will not assist him
to deliver in a championship. We have seen players like
Kelechi Iheanacho graduate from the cadet team. If they
were taking money how could you discover such good
players who are doing well outside?
Probably, they usually run for foreign coaches because
those are the ones that may give them cuts from their
salary, it is a cheep propaganda to destroy Nigerian
coaches. If they want to go for the foreign coaches, let
them just do that. Some of them that came before what
happened to them?
They ran away but we are here grounded because
this is our country. We want to do everything to see
her succeed. Even good or bad, we will return here
because it is our country, that's it. If they think we
are taking money to recruit these players, what
money do these players even have to give to any
coach? Mention one of them. Most of them are from
poor families.
But their agents do payIf the agents succeed in
bribing any coach to take a player who is not good
enough, then that coach does not know what he is
doing and he is not worthy to be called a coach
because there is no amount of money that will make
a bad player to become a good player. How much
can a coach get out of these players and their
agents?Again it is two folds, the only reason that a
coach may accept to take money is when they don’t
pay him for months, and he has pressing problems,
even as I insist it is not a good reason. That brings us
to the issue of corruption. If you are working and
they don’t pay you, that is also corruption on their
part.
So they are the architect of all these problems and if they
have seen one coach that has taken money, have they
confronted him with the player he was said to have
collected money from? If they have the fact let them
challenge the coach that this player said you took money
or that you didn't play him because he didn't pay you. If
you take such money, you are putting yourself in a lot of
problem because if the player is not good he will affect
your team and game plan, also if you don’t play him he
will talk because he has proof that you took money from
him. To me I will never take money to play any player. |
Re: Am Done With Nigeria- Says Siasia by WiseFool2(m): 10:08am On Aug 27, 2016 |
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(1) (Reply)
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