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Siasia confident ahead of WC departure

Siasia confident ahead of WC departure

Posted: 2009-09-17 07:35

Head coach Samson Siasia is brimming with confidence as he gets set to lead his Flying Eagles team out of Spain on Friday for the 17th FIFA Under-20 World Cup taking place in Egypt from 24th September to 16th October.

The Flying Eagles have spent the last 18 days in a training camp in Mallorca, Spain and on Saturday forced Honduras U-20 team to a 1-1 draw in a friendly game in Alicante. 
 
Siasia has picked a blend of foreign–based players with their feet firmly on ground and merged them with confident, active home–based players who have no illusions about the task at hand.
 
It is a combination that has given the coach plenty to be bullish about.
 
“We have confidence and we have the players to do us proud. The training camps in Qatar and Spain have helped the team greatly and we are heading to Egypt believing we can conquer,” said Siasia, a former World Cup star. 
 
Runners–up in 1989 and 2005, Nigeria are lumped in Group B of this year’s tournament alongside Spain, Venezuela and Tahiti. 
 
Argentina, who have won the competition six times, with five wins in the past seven editions, and who defeated Nigeria in the final of the 2005 championship in Holland, failed to reach this year’s finals.
 
Siasia, who coached the class of 2005 that lost in the final to Argentina, and also led the U-23 team to Olympic silver in Beijing last year (also losing to Argentina in the final), is looking to go all the way in the three–week, 24–nation finals. 
 
The team will fly out of Spain from Barcelona aboard Egypt Air Fllight MS 768 and arrive in Cairo by 7:25pm local time on Friday.
 
Nigeria’s first match is against Venezuela at the Al Salam Stadium, Cairo on September 25, before they play Spain on September 28.
 
Their final group phase game is against Tahiti, the Oceania champions at the expansive Cairo International Stadium on Nigeria’s Independence Day. 



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Chidi: 2009-09-17 08:00

Siasia u r a great guy, i know that u and ur boys will make us proud. flying Eagles will definitly fly above other Teams in Egypt
i wish u best of luck

Point: 2009-09-17 08:18

Best of luck as you help our hearts and nation heal quickly from SE bad omen. Go, sai1 and the great boys. We(150 million) are behind you.

king: 2009-09-17 09:09

Go Siasia, do us proud in Egypt.. we're solidly behind ya. But then, i'll want ya to ensure that are defense is well coordinated as defense has always being our nightmare in all sectors of d nations soccer....
May God be with ya n d boyz!!

Olalekan: 2009-09-17 09:24

Siasia, may the good Lord direct your thinking and planning before, during and after the competition. Wishing you a very resounding success.

oscar : 2009-09-17 09:31

@ King, our nightmare is in every department of the game, not just the defence. If the midfield is bad, the defence will be exposed. If the defence is bad, the keeper is "on his own". If the attack is not performing, it will be difficult to win a match. We always have problems in every department, they might not occur at the same time.

Siasia, all Nigerians are solidly behind you. We have not forgotten the short time you had to assemble this great team. We wish you and the team success.

Okey: 2009-09-17 10:02

Our GOD is with you my man and your boyz. You are a great inspiration always and your boyz have a way of working for u which make u a team. Im sure you will have victory but whether or not, pls come and take over the super eagles...we cant wait. Victory is ours in Jesus name, Amen!

hyginus: 2009-09-17 10:13

We wish you, Siasia and Flying Eagles the best of luck in Egypy.

@KON, you have not reported the injury of Ikechukwu Uche of Saragoza so that we can wish him speedy recovery.

@J J Okocha should not have accepted the NFF job now, as its LINESMAN. I don’t think this is the right time for him to associate with the confused NFF. He should have waited for the expiration of this present Board so that he will not be discouraged from vying for a position in the in-coming new Board via the next election or selection into the NFF.

eteng: 2009-09-17 10:27

Siasia if God says yes who can say NO? u are blessed and u will always prosper in every thing u do.

hyginus: 2009-09-17 10:34

@King, your observation is true concerning the defence in our national team (Super Eagles), remember that our problem is that we don’t have quality and experience administrators in NFF and Amodu is a lazy coach, we have these players, but does not have a good coach to coordinate them well. We have good defenders, but we lack good technical team. I think what we lack is modern and coach in Amodu and Amokachie.

@We also don’t have good NFF staffers, no good coordination from them, from Lulu, Ojo Oba, to Ogunjobi. They are not knowledgeable enough to run the affairs of NFF. A good technical NFF should have fought tooth and nail and help Kingsley Udo and Co to acquire pass-port towards the U-20 world cup, even if they had made mistake…….

EMMA: 2009-09-17 11:24

Ekwerigbe : Siasia, you have proved to the world and indeed our leaders that given the right atmosphere devoid of greed, tribalism and nepotism something good can still come out of Nigeria. Ribadu and your likes need to be supported and encouraged. We must purge Nigeria of all forces of darkness. The 2011 elections will greatly determine our place and position in the community of nations. Ghana and South African are already of the road to development. Nigeria must not be left out !!!

Adeshina : 2009-09-17 12:33

Sia1,we Nigerians are all behind you and the boys.Your team is the reason why football fans in this country smile,no thanks to the Super eagles that have broken our hearts with their trade mark lackluster performances.
The NFF should be held responsible for the failure of Kingsley Udo to obtain a travel passport.They should also be questioned or probed if Sonne Aluko`s decision to play for his father land results to something negative on the scottish homefront.
his is our time to feel a touch of the trophy,go flying eagle go!

sunday: 2009-09-17 12:33

Although few of the players were injured, i still have faith in Siasia, because Siasia knows what he is doing. We just pray that God crowns their efforts with success.

Siasia did not wait for the proffessionals to be on ground before work would commence. He did not wait for the ready made players. He is not a lazy coach. He could drop some of the proffessional players for the good home based ones. Equal treatment; no wonder he is the most successful coach in the land.

Now we say we want to win against Mozambique in the senior National side because we are going to play at home, so no preparation has started yet. There is nothing being said about playing any friendly macth before any of the two matches coming ahead of us. May God help us.

Oyebisi: 2009-09-17 13:11

Let's not get excited about the u-21 worldcp.If we are sincere with ourselves we all know the players that will be paraded at the worldcup will be overaged players.As far as i am concerned there is no pride or prestige winning a competition by cheating.It is the worldcup i am looking forward to.That will be a reliable yardstick to assess the development and the standard of Nigerian football not an underage competition where the average age of the Nigerian players will be 10 years older than the average age of european players.If it is true we have been using players that are within the legal age limit why haven't our players unlike Messi,ronaldinho transform into worldclass players.Boyan who played for spain at the last u-17 worldcup is currently playing for Barcelona the reigning European champions while our own christiantus who was the tournament's highest goalscorer has not able to get a descent club.Siasia is no doubt a great coach but the system is the problem.

passunng: 2009-09-17 13:41

@stilo, u are entitled to ur opinion but to say that siasia is proud is mere bullrushes.U may have personal things against him perhaps envious and jealous at his managerial prowess but want u to know that his good works speaks for him
All forumites and nigerians wish him well but u have chosen to be a betrayal(black sheep in this forum).just no dat ur wishes for him is infinitesimal and holds no water.
Sia1 we wish u well.U will succeed and disgrace the likes of Stilo.Good luck!

Rich: 2009-09-17 13:57

GOD will continue 2 bless u siasia as u take a very patriotic step in leading the flying eagles 2 a successful outing in Egypt...But as for Amoudu (a mugu)and lulu (mumu), DEM MAMA,DEM PAPA,DEM MAMA,DEM PAPA,DEM MAMA,DEM PAPA,DEM MAMA.

coache: 2009-09-17 14:12

@passung, thanks alot for that rebuke. They are afraid because they know Siasia is better than Amodu. Instead of appreciating excellence, they find a way of calling him names and saying he played against second division teams, he is proud: ALL IN THE NAME OF SUPPORTING MUMUDU.

THERE ARE ONLY TWO COACHES IN NIGERIA: SIASIA AND OTHERS

McRichie: 2009-09-17 14:14

@ stilo, u b minority. If almost evry1 wishes sia1 gud,den ur wished cant stand. Sia1 is bluvd.

Bankole: 2009-09-17 14:27

Stilo or wetin dem dey call ur name, God punish you for running down Siasia. What has he done to you? Why is it that u people like to be envying anybody making progress in his career? Well Sia 1 is not distracted with a silly comment given by daft people like you. You are not a true Nigerian if u were, you are suppose to be supporting the team and the coaching crew as they strive to do all of us proud in this competition. Sia 1, good luck to you and ur team.
Fash

collins: 2009-09-17 14:47

@bankole,pls stop this act of cursing on kon site,despite the fact that i too did not support stilo act of unpatriotism.is better you leave him alone with his impression.

muhammed: 2009-09-17 15:00

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Wolfsburg striker Obafemi Martins, who was controversially left out of Nigeria's must-win World Cup qualifier against Tunisia earlier this month, will be recalled, along with Bolton Wanderers defender Danny ****tu, for the upcoming home game against Mozambique.

Martins was left out of the Tunisia tie after Nigeria coach Shuaibu Amodu questioned his fitness and commitment to the team, while it was reported that ****tu could not be reached in time for the game.

Martins was very disappointed by the Nigeria snub, having scored twice for his new German club since returning from hernia surgery.

Amodu is now counting on on the experience and composure of ****tu after a rather shaky performance by Dele Adeleye in the heart of the Eagles' defence against the Carthage Eagles, although the big central defender has failed to command a first-team shirt at the Trotters since his switch from Watford.

Goal.com has exclusively gathered that under-fire Amodu will call up a 30-man squad for the Mozambique match, rather than the usual 21-man squad, aiming to make the team a lot more competitive.

The squad will also include some players from the domestic league, which Amodu has rather overlooked since he took the reins of the national team in April 2008.

"There will be two, three players from the local league in the squad for the match against Mozambique," a top NFF official disclosed to Goal.com

Ekene: 2009-09-17 15:09

Stilo, thunder fire you,your papa and your mama. Idiot!!!! You don't appreciate what you have... If you are really a nigerian, i can say that you are an ordinary witch living in the country!!

stan'Lee: 2009-09-17 15:14

To Coachee,

Dear Saisai,
You have always been my man because you are a good coach.
You took the game from playing to managing and you have shown that good things can still come out from *****.
You have always come out with great and inspiring plans as well as the quest to succeed at all cost.
The day you make that mistake to play along with mediocre and bad influential authorities, you will lose this so-far earned respect.
For the boys heading for Egypt, please try and build team confidence in them instead of on individual brilliance.
Yes, you have the materials but the oneness as a team supersedes any form of individual skills.
Anyone selected to star for a match must work for the other….!!!
There must be this spirit the “ANTS” which stipulates that together they can lift anything!!!
Another very important concern is that the lads must execute every match with high respect for every opponent that comes their way.
No team should be looked as a walk-over, because virtually every team coming for the tournaments are favuorite including the Flying Eagles.
Any team playing against us will give so much to the Flying eagles especially with your past pedigree.
However, know that the entire nation is behind you and your good results will create a boost for the super eagles to up their games in their remaining WC qualifiers.

Go Saisai…You rule!!
Up FLYING EAGLES…!!!
Up Nigeria!!!

I hail O!!!

Bankole: 2009-09-17 16:08

@Collins People like stilo deserves whatever tongue lashing they get because of their unpatrotism. In as much i do not like heaping abuse on people, stilo should be cautioned and put where he belongs.

Big: 2009-09-17 16:41

Enugu, all WYC matches will be shown live on S3N from the 1st match to the last match. And for viewers in Nigeria that do not have access to DSTV, OSMI will also bring all matches live to teeming Nigerians via all BON network stations. Or better still, there are lots of viewing centres across Nigeria with DSTV where fans can watch all matches live.

Daniel: 2009-09-17 17:43

Siasia i wish u and ur guys all the best in Egypt may the Almighty God be with u all we 9jarains r looking forward to celebrate u and ur guys
All the best
Daniel T

Daniel: 2009-09-17 17:44

Siasia i wish u and ur guys all the best in Egypt may the Almighty God be with u all we 9jarains r looking forward to celebrate u and ur guys
All the best
Daniel T

Mitchell: 2009-09-17 18:31

Kon sometimes often make laugh. Does Nigeria have independent day? Well Siasia success or failure in Egypt, you remain the best coach Nigeria ever produced. We are behind you.

SAINT: 2009-09-17 19:22

SIASIA,MY PRAYER 4 YOU, IS THAT ALMIGHTY GOD WILL GROWN ALL YOUR ENDEAVOUR WITH TREMENDOUS SUCESS.AS YOU PREPARE 4 THE TASK AHEAD IN EGYPT.SIASIA ,ARISE AND SHINE FOR IT IS YOUR TIME TO SHINE.YOU WILL WIN THE CUP IN EGYPT,YOU WILL COME BACK AND TAKE OVER THE SUPER EAGLE AMEN.

Flex: 2009-09-17 20:17

This stilo sef ...............

ade: 2009-09-17 22:29

i cant understand why we keep kidding ourselves. the bottom line is simply we are liars and not sincere, not until we clean out our closets things wont go right for nigeria.we have greedy leaders and not only the leaders, some average nigerians are not better off the greedy leaders.a country where blood of innocent souls are been sacrficed every now and then...............its only God that can save us, even God himself is fed up with nigeria.

ptay: 2009-09-18 20:12

Why do u guys like to abuse each other?This is a forum to discuss issues bedeviling our football and how to move forward.Please all those who use this forum to abuse others will be disallowed from further participation.

Timi: 2009-09-19 09:50

Stilo should be banned from this forum, he's got nothing good in his whole life to give. He is a saddist. Even if Siasia fails this time has he not paid his dues! Why are u always negative? I think we should all ignore him henceforth that way he knows he is irrelevant to us and his own world.

vincent: 2009-09-20 07:45

Siaone God is with u.Come on &bring the trophy to nigeria.

Peter: 2009-09-23 12:22

Sia 1, Go to Egypt with your boys with confidence.
Twice, you had played in the Finals, and, we are not shy yet! This time around, you are coming back with the Cup. Back home here, we are behind you. Go, go, go and conquer!
PETER OGBECHE, FCT ABUJA

EMMA: 2009-09-23 15:27

EkwerigbSiasia, you have proved to the world and indeed our leaders that given the right atmosphere devoid of greed, tribalism and nepotism something good can still come out of Nigeria. Ribadu and your likes need to be supported and encouraged. We must purge Nigeria of all forces of darkness. The 2011 elections will greatly determine our place and position in the community of nations. Ghana and South African are already on the road to development. Nigeria must not be left out !!!

EMMA: 2009-09-23 15:27

EkwerigbSiasia, you have proved to the world and indeed our leaders that given the right atmosphere devoid of greed, tribalism and nepotism something good can still come out of Nigeria. Ribadu and your likes need to be supported and encouraged. We must purge Nigeria of all forces of darkness. The 2011 elections will greatly determine our place and position in the community of nations. Ghana and South African are already on the road to development. Nigeria must not be left out !!!