Super Eagles' left full back, Taiye Taiwo, has come out to tell the whole truth about Nigeria's woeful outing at the last World Cup in South Africa. He said that Nigeria's inability to qualify for the group stage must not be blamed on Sani Keita's red card; instead, every member of the squad must accept responsibility for failing the nation.

He further revealed that Coach Lars Lagerback could have done better with the team if he had proper knowledge of the players he invited for the tournament and advised that any coach that would be contracted to coach the Eagles must have knowledge of African football.

Taiwo also appealed to the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) to consider Coach Samson Siasia as Super Eagles' coach since he has proved himself with age grade teams in the country.
"It would be stupid to think that Nigeria was knocked out (of the 2010 World Cup) because of Sani Keita's red card against Greece. What makes us regret it most is that our group wasn't that tough.

"It was a huge disappointment because we had very good players and we could have done a lot better. But you can't pull a miracle when you have a coach who was just appointed few months before the tournament.
“Lars Lagerback just knew the main players in the team, but it takes time to get to know all the players, understand the system they feel more comfortable with, how to position them, who plays well with who and how to get the best mix between experience and youth.

“The appointment of Samson Siasia will undoubtedly be good for us. He knows the team better and he is very familiar with the players.
“After our failure to qualify for Germany 2006 and our early exit from the South Africa 2010 World Cup, I usually have the feeling that Nigeria has stopped to progress in football. We lack patience. When we are winning, everybody would want a piece of the victory. But when we lose, everything will change automatically.
“We can only progress in football when the football authorities in the country will learn to be patient and have a programme for our football development. We have to take the Ghanaian example. Ghana kept the same coach for a long time, he had time enough time to work and understand terrain and the players.

The players were together for a long time and so could play for each other. It wasn't a thing of surprise that they became Africa's best representatives at the 2010 World Cup.”
“We need to follow their examples. Ghana arrived in South Africa without big names and when they performed, it was for their country, whereas other teams were putting the best individual performances. The Ghanaians were organised, disciplined, and they were able to combine well because they had the time to learn how to play together under their coach. Theirs was an excellent youth team,” he continued.

“Last May, we won the French League and League Cup, the club's first silverware in 17 years. Obviously, that was an unforgettable time and for me, what I love most is winning. My family in Nigeria was in tears. It was also a big reward for the club, which has worked very hard and had continued to progress ever since I arrived.
“We had come close to the titles in the two previous seasons and maybe the arrival of Didier Deschamps brought us the little extra we were lacking to take the next step.

“It was also a fantastic reward for the supporters. They always follow us wherever we go. They give their time and money to follow us by coach, train or plane. We were very happy to thank them for their support with those trophies.
"I still feel happy in my club. I arrived here very young, straight from Nigeria, quite a long away from my family and friends. But, right from the start, I was made to feel at home in this beautiful city and great club," said Taiwo told fifa.com.

"They've made it possible for me to develop my game and play at the highest level. It's not impossible that I might spend the rest of my career here, but if I have to leave one day, I know Marseille will always have a place in my heart. For the moment, though, I'm here and I'm happy to be here.
“Since last year, I have been handed more responsibilities, including penalty duties and the captain's armband on some occasions. I'm not one of the oldest players in my club, but I'm one of the most senior ones.

“It's a pleasure and honour to see that the coach and my teammates have faith in me. They're the ones who decide who takes the penalties, as it happened towards the end of last season at Boulogne. It was a difficult match and we won a penalty in the last minute. They said: 'Taiye will take it.' When people show that they're counting on you, you can't betray their confidence. I had to bury it and the (2-1) win was very important in our title race.

“For the Super Eagles, we need a coach who has time, that's all. Time to familiarise himself with the African mentality in general and that of Nigerians in particular; time to get to know each player's strengths and weaknesses; time to find the best system for the players available and time to improve what's working after a win and correct mistakes after a loss.

“The appointment of Samson Siasia will undoubtedly be good for us. He knows all that already, and he's very familiar with the players and their working methods. He was my coach at the Under-20 level and I would be pleased to work with him again,” the Nigerian and Marseille defender concluded.




http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/sports/2010/sept/15/sports-15-09-2010-001.htm

piece of trash. Amodu didn't know his boys too enh?

Abeg, is Amodu a coach? Even in his defense, TT is saying our coaches need more than months to a tournament to do well.