₦airaland Forum

terzurum5:
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Siasia gets Aminu boost for Congo clash
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by Samm Audu
Coach Samson Siasia has received a massive boost with the arrival of Turkey-based striker Umar Aminu for Sunday’s CAF U23 Championship qualifier against Congo in Port Harcourt.
“Aminu has joined the team after he was released by his club from their pre-season training. It’s a bit late, but we will see how it goes,” Siasia disclosed.
Aminu was stand-out star for Nigeria at the 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup in Turkey after he emerged Goal King at the 2013 AYC in Algeria and he is now playing regularly in Turkey for Osmanlispor after a stint at Samsunspor.
Siasia will be without several Europe-based call-ups like Musa Mohammed, Moses Simon, Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho as they are engaged in pre-season with their clubs.
Enyimba midfielder Kingsley Sokari is also ruled out after reporting late to training camp on account of his transfer talks in Tunisia with Esperance.
Siasia is therefore expected to stick with the core of the team who eliminated Gabon and Zambia from the 2015 All Africa Games.
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africanfootball.com/news/550963/Siasia-gets-Aminu-boost-for-Congo-clash

terzurum5:
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Siasia targets 4-0 win over Congo
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Nigeria U23 team coach Samson Siasia has predicted a convincing 4-0 home win over Congo on Sunday when they clash in the first leg of a CAF U23 Championship qualifier in Port Harcourt.
Nigeria U23s get Aminu boost
‘SiaOne’, as he is fondly called, said his team, fondly nicknamed Dream Team VI, are fully prepared for victory as they take another step towards featuring at next year’s Olympics in Rio Janeiro, Brazil.
"We have been preparing hard for the game and I am sure we are going to win the game convincingly, I am looking at us getting like a 4-0 win, but victory is what we will play for,” said Siasia.
“We are making efforts to get their match tapes to know them better.
“The boys are in high spirit and ready for the task."
Siasia will be without several of his foreign-based call-ups like Musa Mohammed, Kelechi Iheanacho and Moses Simon, but Turkey-based forward Umar Aminu, Taiwo Awoniyi and Godwin Saviour will be available for selection.
The effective combination of Awoniyi and Saviour was evident at last month’s FIFA U20 World Cup in New Zealand after they had also combined to eliminate Zambia in a 2015 All Africa Games qualifier.
However, Congo coach Claude Leroy is equally bullish ahead of this showdown after they eliminated highly-fancied Ghana in the previous round of the qualifiers
"We have a huge chance of not only eliminating Nigeria, but qualifying for the Olympics. There is no reason why we should fear them," said the much travelled Frenchman, who last year led Congo full international team to shock the Super Eagles 3-2 in a 2015 AFCON qualifier.
Congo have invited a dozen foreign pros and will parade several full internationals including goalkeeper Christoffer Mafoumbi, who was outstanding at this year’s AFCON as the Congo Red Devils reached the last eight in Equatorial Guinea.
The CAF U23 Championship will be staged by Senegal later this year and will serve as the qualifier for the 2016 Olympic football event.
By Olusola Alao
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africanfootball.com//news/551002/Siasia-targets-4-0-win-over-Congo

Icon4s:
But this same Siasia told Kingsley Sokari that has always been part of this team even before the Super 6 tourney but arrived camp last week Friday that it was late.

Icon4s:
Dear Siasia, it is good to aim big o bt with d crop of players u have that scoreline is very unlikely. U better concentrate a lot more on ur defence to avoid letting in goals while pushing forwards to get 4 goals. I wish we can win by that margin anyways.

terzurum5:
Kingsley Sokari has not being involved in serious football games since the U 20 World Cup while Aminu Umar has being with his team and participated fully in their preseason games. So that be all the difference.

terzurum5:
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African U-23 qualifier: Congo dares Siasia’s team in Port Harcourt
By: IFEANYI EDUZOR
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Nigeria’s U-23 team coached by Samson Siasia will tomorrow confront their Congolese counterparts in the first leg of the final qualifiers for African U-23 Championship. The match will be played at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt with the second leg coming up in two weeks time in Brazzaville, the Congolese capital. Team Nigeria and Congo will battle for one of the eight slots at the 2nd African U-23 Championship taking place in Senegal from November 28 – December 11, 2015.
The top three teams at that competition will qualify for the Men’s football tournament of next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil while the fourth placed team will participate in a play-off against an Asian side.
Tomorrow’s encounter is expected to be explosive as the Nigerians who are 1996 Olympic champions and silver medalists in the 2008 edition will be facing a rejuvenated Congolese side who eliminated Ghana’s Black Meteors in the penultimate round of qualifiers for the African Championship.
While the Coach Samson Siasia tutored side will be aiming for a comprehensive victory in the cracker to make the reverse fixture a mere formality, the Red Devils who will be led by Claude Leroy, who masterminded a 3-2 victory over the Super Eagles in Calabar during the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier with the senior national team will be hoping to cause another upset that will make them stand a chance of qualifying for the African championship at the expense of Nigeria when they host the final qualifiers in Brazzaville in two weeks time.
In order to ensure that Nigeria qualifies for the championship, Siasia has selected a crack squad made up of three players from the Flying Eagles squad who were part of the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup namely; Taiwo Awoniyi, Saviour Godwin and Musa Yahaya to join the likes of Segun Oduduwa, Iroha Ebuka, Atanda Sadiq, Ikechukwu Okorie, Etor Daniel, Etobong Elisha and goalkeepers, Daniel Emmanuel, Yusuf Mohammed and Emmason Daniel among others to prosecute tomorrow’s encounter with the Rivers State Government throwing the gates open to encourage fans troop out en mass to cheer the team to victory.
As is expected, both coaches have spoken about the chances of their team with both handlers declaring that they will not underrate their opponents in today’s encounter.
Speaking shortly after his team’s arrival in Port Harcourt last week, Siasia noted that tomorrow’s match would be tough but they were going to put in their best to ensure they record a resounding victory against the Red Devils. “We are quite aware that the match is going to be a tough one considering that our opponents eliminated Ghana from the qualifiers, but we are ready to see off the Congolese in the first leg,” he said.
The former Super Eagles coach who believes strongly that they are going to get positive result in the match stated that his players will not underrate the Congolese because doing so could be very dangerous.
“The players know what is at stake and that they are meeting a very good side and as such we are not going to underrate our opponents because they deserve some respect. But what I can assure Nigerians is that we are not only going to grab the three points at stake in today’s encounter but will win convincingly to make the second leg a mere formality.
Also speaking on the match, Congolese Coach, Claude Leroy, noted that they are in Nigeria to get a good result and be in an advantaged position when they host the Dream team in Brazzaville in a fortnight.
According to the French tactician, his players are capable of causing another upset against Nigeria, noting that their target is to pick the three points at stake in today’s encounter.
[/b]
nationalmirroronline.net/new/african-u-23-qualifier-congo-dares-siasias-team-in-port-harcourt/

Icon4s:
When did the U20 World Cup end? Jst barely over a month ago. What is pre-season tour? Is the competition and training as intense as that of the U20 WC?Sokari knows this team in and out. He has been a member since even before the Super 6 tourney in January. Aminu has never even trained with this team before. Who now stands a better chance of fitting in, Kingsley Sokari that has been with d team since inception and reported 1week ago or Aminu that has never trained with d team and arrived 2 or 3days before kick-off? Except Siasia will tell us that Sokari has nothing to offer.

Icon4s:
Awww! Abeg will this match be televised live? Its gona be a cracker.

terzurum5:
Hmmmmmmmmm Thats serious.
What do I have to say again?

krattoss:
Please where can i get the pix and specs of this adokiye amiekesiamaka stadium?


Never seen the pix on any website

Icon4s:
Siasia has some personal issues with Sokari.Simple.

lexyman:
He doesn't have any personal issue with Sokari ,since after the World Cup Sokari went for trials in Europe. He came in a week to the the qualifying match ... And u want him to be part of the team? My opinion I think Sia1 is right for his omission , he can be part of the team in the 2nd leg .

lexyman:
I think they made the right choice , he's d most qualified coach we have now.

Interms of experience , he knows his weakness that was why he came with the expatriate .although I am a super fan of Steven Keshi , but I wil give Oliseh the support because the whole plan on paper looks juicy and they want the team to succeed ...I don't expect anything to happen now but I think the future is bright .
Amaju can't go wrong with the choice of Coach , he has been preparing himself taking a lot of training regarding football matters in the past 15 years and he's surrounded by some of our best player in the past ,as part of the technical study group ... For them to consider Oliseh , I am giving them d support . Bro let's support d Mafia , he can handle the team.

lexyman:
He doesn't have any personal issue with Sokari ,since after the World Cup Sokari went for trials in Europe. He came in a week to the the qualifying match ... And u want him to be part of the team? My opinion I think Sia1 is right for his omission , he can be part of the team in the 2nd leg .

TheGoodJoe:
Icon4s points are so clear. There is a clear bias in Siasia's choice in this situation. If Aminu can get a chance in the team, it is impossible for it being late for Sokari.