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Siasia takes blame, defends Ighalo

Siasia takes blame, defends Ighalo

Posted: 2009-09-30 09:44

Flying Eagles coach Samson Siasia has accepted responsibility for the team's poor showing so far at the Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Egypt.

Siasia's team have lost their two games against Venezuela and Spain, failing to score in the process, and the former Nigeria international says he had very little time to build a good team.
 
"I know that three months to the World Cup was quite a short time but I thought I could try some things to make it happen. But it didn't happen.
 
"We had a lot of issues like players not coming to camp on time and all that but I am not going to blame anybody about anything. It is all my decision to come back and whatever happens I think it is all my fault," Siasia said.
 
The Flying Eagles have also failed to find the back of the net despite creating a truckload of opportunities, and although the coach came down hard on his strikers immediately after the Spain loss, he was quick to defend captain Odion Ighalo, who has been disappointing so far, and his decision to keep faith with the misfiring forward.
 
"I think our captain is one of the best players we have in this tournament but he is just having a bad tournament. When you have strikers that can score goals but fail to do so in two games, it becomes a problem.
 
"If you believe in strikers sometimes it works out but this time around I think it is not working out. Ighalo is the biggest striker we have around and the smaller ones couldn't have done better any way. 
 
"What I did was to take chances but it did not work this time around and I accept responsibility for what happened," Siasia stated.
 
With four best losers advancing after the group stages, Siasia and his wards will hope that they can sort out their scoring problems against Tahiti, and pray that other results go their way.






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Recent Comments (42) :

kingsley: 2009-09-30 10:08

I still have hope on you coach.At times strikers do ve their black day.I pray we emarge best looser to get to the next stage.The strikers should learn how to shoot from a distance.God bless 9ja.

Profy: 2009-09-30 10:40

you will qualify and shame all ur critics. Your team will go far in this tournament. My man anyday. The only Nigerian coach that make me happy wen Nigeria is playing Win or Lose. You are too good and God is going see u thru. Every Lover of Football should rally round sia1 bcos is enemy are waiting to punce on him. Lets Pray for this team regardless of ther short comings.

Olaade: 2009-09-30 10:43

That is one of the qualities of a good leader

BishopofUnimaid02/03: 2009-09-30 10:50

Siasia, you are a good coach anyday anytime. Even your critics know that you are the best that we have now in the country. However, one of your greatest undoings is that your captains always fail to live up to expectation. Your present captain reminds me of Isaac Promise. It's sad that you continue to rely on them even when they fail to deliver. It's not good for the team. You have to encourage the other players. Let your captain sit on the bench and try some other players. Why didn't you go to the championship with bigger strikers if that is all that it takes to score. Even either of Aki and Pawpaw would have converted many of the begging chances that came the way of your wingless eagles.

Noel: 2009-09-30 10:58

it will be funny if tahiti beat us.

Dr Kola: 2009-09-30 10:59

You are doing your best, Nigerian problem is more than you reckon, we have a spritual problem, Nigerians continue to sin, our female students are prostitues, ours religion leaders are fakes,unGodfearing, our so called leaders are wicked and visionless,our public servants are all rogues, our children are moraless. Every one wants to build mansions, ride hummer, etc.

Unless we change our ways, the worst beckons!!!

Dr Kola: 2009-09-30 11:06

I agree with you Mike, Nigerians are coward, the same people who allowed Babangida, Abacha to take power.

We need a revolution in Nigeria, is anyone ready? If not even Chad will overtake us in all ramifications!!!

Tim: 2009-09-30 11:08

Apart from the strikers, the defence needs sorting out. Having a solid defence line gives confidence to the strikers that their acts can be cleaned out and calmness in front of goal. For example playing N****wo in defence in the first game wasn't the best of decisions given his display in midfield during the 2nd half and game against spain. Sunday Abe looks suspect. What are the other options we have? And how can pepper the cracks of this average defence line?
However these are tit bits beyond the group stage. For Tahiti it is an all out attack. At least 5 goals and hope results go our way. I know we can!

Omo Naija: 2009-09-30 11:21

I have my admiration and respect for Siasia anytime, any day. While I admit he may be disappointed at the turn of events in Egypt and the expectations of Nigerians from his team, I still like his professional approach to his job. Even if we do not make it to the next round, I am happy to see the young lads you assembled. They have skills and they only need a little shape-up for them to be world-beaters. This team, if kept together under a sound coach, can win the olympics and translate to capable replacements to the chickens (nothing super about them) in the senior team.
Keep your cool and talk to the boys as much as you can. What they need most now is inspiration and not much of soccer drills. I believe they will make it to the next round and ultimately to the finals.

Birikiti: 2009-09-30 11:26

@ All,

People you all need to hear this.

I just scooped from reliable sources that the bias officiating we have been facing is as a result of Ladan Bosso calling the referee of our match against Chile, in Canada 2007 ,a racist!

My source says this kind of officiating will continue until we exit the competition & I have cause to believe him.

Abeg anyone who knows how to contact FIFA exec member, Amos Adamu, should do so now as this grand conspiracy will all the more be apparent against Tahiti tomorrow.

Your comments please!

Damilare Bourn: 2009-09-30 11:30

Even if we didn't qualify I will still come out to say bravo to u Sia 1. U are a wonderful coach dat knows what he's doing. I give it to u bros. ppl should learn hw to appreciate things, for d fact dat he didn't get it right dis time around dos nt mean he has lost touch of his tactics. In the Premiership if dey ask me to mention coaches I will mention d likes of Wenger, Benithez. we all know dat dis season Liverpool has lost 3 matches, one in d Champions league and two in the Premiership. Bt I will tell u dat Benitez is one of the best coach we have in the premiership. Chelsea was been wining bt I will not give it to the coach I will give it to the PLAYERS. Pls Sia u are still d best. NO DOUBT.

Omo Naija: 2009-09-30 11:35

Birikiti,

While I do not like getting involved in conspiracy theories, I think there might be some element of truth. But do you mind naming your source?

ADE: 2009-09-30 12:00

The footballers we have in nigeria is just a refelection of our league. Can you imagine the big companies we have in nigeria how people sponsor our foot teams and our boxing team and so on.

WHAT WE NEED TO DO
TAKE AWAY FOOTBALL FROM THE GOVERNMENT MINISTRY OF SPORTS BECAUSE FOOTBALL IS A JUST AN OVER GROWN BABY ON THE BACK OF THE GOVERMENT.

IMAGINE HOW MUCH MONEY OUR FOOTBALLERS EARN HOW MUCH IS PAID AS TAX TO OUR GOVERNMENT? GOVERNMENT LOOSES ON FOOTBALL WE NEED TO DEMAND THAT FOOTBALL TAKES CARE OF ITSELF.

THERE ARE MILLIONAIRES THAT ARE READY TO INVEST BUT WILL NOT DO SO BEACUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE HIDDING IN GOVERNMENT THAT WILL FUSTRATE THEM IF THEY PUT A CENT IN NIGERIA FOOT LEAGUE.

SET UP A NIGERIAN SUPER LEAGUE CALL IT THE "OGBONGE LEAGUE"

YOU WILL SET THE SPONSOR FEE AT A HIGH COST SAY 2O MILLION US DOLLARS

THEY THE SPONSORS WILL PROVIDE THE CUP AND OTHER THINGS TV RIGHTS FOR 2 YEARS

1) THE CLUBS IN THE MUST HAVE A STADIUM
2) THE CLUB MUST AN ACADEMY
3) CAPITALISATION OF CLUB MUST BE PUT AT A HIGH LEVEL SAY 1 BIILLION NAIRA
4) FAN BASE REGISTRATION MUST BE ATLEAST 30 THOUSAND

I BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL HELP

: 2009-09-30 12:26

.

maark: 2009-09-30 12:44

Siasia is a respected coach. Its only few coaches that admit their mistake. @Mike &@Dr Kola, i support u guys on your comments. Its time forumites come together and meet with the FA & the coach. Is there any way KON can help us achieve this. Lets allocate members to the FA and tender our demands. Form an association that will speak for the fans so our views can be heard and treated accordingly

val: 2009-09-30 12:51

When Siaisa was oppointed coach of the flying eagles, i sent a post saying "he has just gotten himself involved in the greatest mess of his life"
my words were only a wake up call and caution. In a subsequent post i reminded forumites that we should stop the idea of too much expectation from Siasia. While it was clear that he was having the usual logistics, financial, administrative, physical and mental ranglings with the authorities, no one cared but we were busy calling him the "messiah" who could always deliver! Siaia came through his last successes with the u21 because of a long term plan and could not have done same in three months, thus the result we are witnessing.
Am sorry for those calling for his promotion to the super eagles, i have news for you guys...
we need a complete cleansing in the nations sports and not just football and until the entire bunch at NFF, NSC (sports ministry) have been sacked, the same situation shall persist.
To this end, therefore, i would like to implore anxious and patriotic forumites and nigerians to stand up and face it, there is no need for sentiments or reaping where we did not sow, there is also no need for looming heart attacks, tensions, suicides....and oh!!! near misses!!!
We have no senior national team for the CAN in Angola, talkless of 2010 south africa, the u21 played so woefully so far and do not deserve to go beyond the group stages, our u17 is in disarray and would be disgraced at home come october, these are facts. So lets wipe our tears early enough, dust ourselves up and start right now to prepare for the next world youth tourneys in 2011 and senior world cup in 2014. Ghana found themselves in same situaton over a decade ago, accepted it and built a team forming the bulk of the present senior team from their youth team.
Be it Siasia, Amodu, Bosso, Eguavoen, Vogts, Ferguson, Mohnrinho or Wenger, failures would still hang around as along the bunch of

EnyiAwka 1: 2009-09-30 13:34

Sia1 is a good coach no doubt about it, but i dont want the flying eagles to move on to the next round. My country Nigeria is very sick its high time we all realize this and start asking our leaders questions. They (goverment) use soccer to decieve us, they invest all their energy into soccer to make us happy whereby making us to forget that we have real problem in this country. There forumite werever u are, try talking to you fellow Nigerian about the situation we have found ourselves in. Carry placard ask the goverment of corrupt people to Leave the country. We have to act fast for Nigeria is now a laffing stock in the eye of the whole world.
We Must change!!

EnyiAwka 1: 2009-09-30 13:47

Sia1 is a good coach no doubt about it, but i dont want the flying eagles to move on to the next round. My country Nigeria is very sick its high time we all realize this and start asking our leaders questions. They (goverment) use soccer to decieve us, they invest all their energy into soccer to make us happy whereby making us to forget that we have real problem in this country. There forumite werever u are, try talking to you fellow Nigerian about the situation we have found ourselves in. Carry placard ask the goverment of corrupt people to Leave the country. We have to act fast for Nigeria is now a laffing stock in the eye of the whole world.
We Must change!!

sly1: 2009-09-30 14:14

SIA1, this is what I am talking about you have just done what great coaches do, ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. Now these same misfiring forwards, will come out and respond to this love you have shown them. Remember, Nigeria vs Ivory coast in Beijing 2008. Good coaches know that the technical crew and the players share a collective responsibility. YOU WIN TOGETHER AND ALSO LOSE TOGETHER. You should always have faith in your wards cos, you picked them.SIASIA, DONT LOSE FAITH,YOUR PROBLEMS ARE OVER. HERE COMES THE TURN Around

Buchi: 2009-09-30 14:49

You have done the honorable thing siasia. Go ahead and correct these mistakes. gud luck

OG: 2009-09-30 14:53

Siassia...thanks for accepting responsibilities. Dont mind some of this praise singers who sees nothing wrong in a coach not accepting resposibilities when they failed. You have done noble to accept. Just find solutions to it. You are still lucky to have four best losers opportunity. After al amodu does not have it. If he does, i am sure SE will be in world cup too.

soccabros: 2009-09-30 14:55

Ur still better than the best coach in )ja for now....keep trying ur best Siasia , God will see u through.....

smart: 2009-09-30 15:21

Taken a good look at the team and making a technical ****ysis of the performance, the team is good and i will give them 65% but talking about result it is 0%. Though result is what matter most in soccer but looking back at our build up towords this competition and the happening in nigerian soccer lately we should not be supprise about the result.However this should not take away the fact that this team play very well and the guys put in every effort to get result but mother luck was against them. this happend sometime in game and we just have to accept it. it is very obvious that the technical bench of the team have done there part and the guys tried their best but it was not good enough to hean a good result.i will still say sia 1 is still the best nigeria have as of today inrespective of the outcome of this competition

Sas: 2009-09-30 16:29

@Dr Kola, You were right about This Country.Let pray for God's intervention.

JOHNSON OLUDEJI: 2009-09-30 16:31

I AGREE WITH YOU OLAADE. HOW I WISH ALL OUR LEADERS WILL EXEMPLIFY THIS KIND OF LEADERSHIP QUALITY THAT WAS EXEMPLIFIED BY SIASIA. AND IN SPORTS, YOU CANT WIN ALL THE TIME, AND YOU CANT LOOSE FOREVER EITHER. ALL THE BESY SIASIA.

Garvey: 2009-09-30 17:18

@mike1 - open your eyes, read through your comments and if you have a little bit of intelligence in you then you will know that all your comments are bull****. You are one of the most useless forumite. @Asylum seeker Stilo - who do you think you are - you come in here to tell us you told and warned Siasia. What do you know about football? You are nothing but a good for nothing fellow who has never achieved anything good in his life and that is why you will always pray for the downfall of other people.

ade: 2009-09-30 17:41

i strongle agree with you dr kola, we seriously need God's intervention in Nigeria for us to prosper as a nation.average attributes of a corrupt nigerians are not far fetched from lies,dishonesty,arrogancy,disobedient,sturboness and the list is endless. winning all the world cups at stake wont redeem our dent image in the world, we need to start acting right and be positive in our attitudes as individuals.

oscar : 2009-09-30 17:51

The match against Tahiti will be a record setting match, whichever way we want to look at it. It is either Siasia's boys write their names in gold by winning with more than 8 goals margin to set a new record or they mis-fire and return home empty-handed. The only way the boys can help Siasia's credibility is to win and qualify for the next stage.

As for Nigeria, we are at a position where independence celebration brings us "badluck" rather than "goodluck". I guess it goes to show that we should not be celebrating as there is nothing to celebrate for. The country is still not free, do we need to list the problems? We all know them...

Chijoke: 2009-09-30 18:01

Siasia, have to understand that he is alooser and there is no too ways about it, Siasia drop our best Defender and attackers because he need contact from the young boys, now he has lead us to the wors area, all blame goes to Nigeria, NFF ,

Richmond: 2009-09-30 18:02

The Gods are to blame.Our lads played their best.Better than venezuela and spain. But these are the days the Gods were angry and they refused to smile on our side. Instead, they turned their back against us.The referees also had a mandate to pull the giants down. Siasia, you are only human, Pray for the god of soccer to smile on our side.If it happens, it is not too bad to qualify as best loser.
Richmond USA

Chijoke: 2009-09-30 18:09

If Nigeria did not disolve this governing body of NFF , there will be no solution for our foothball both nationa team and oters, even our Club side all are in Bondage of bad people in the NFF, let's tell our self the truth, we need Coach, National team and Under 20 youth team, we never get the right person for the post, Siasia, knows the truth about his failure and he can not do anything about it, because he is the one who created the problem. Nigeria can not even qualify for under 17 as normal qualification, and even under 20 youth team can not lift world cup, but over all, we have the larget quantity of youth footballer around Europe, Nigeria have many tarlented footballers whom are ready to represent Nigeria in any level, but Politics in NFF will not allow that to be happen, For now, we did not get any player who can do magic to win match, because they are not the best, the best are hiding and the NFF are not ready to prove our tarlented footballer because of their selfishness, everybody in that NFF are looking for his/her pocket . let's forget about Nigeria football.

Polly: 2009-09-30 18:23

@mike1, you need to see a shrink.

Toluwase: 2009-09-30 19:46

Pls guys, don't waste your time listen Stilo. Someone told me he is not a Nigerian and beside he's mentally ill.

collins: 2009-09-30 20:36

Siasia your are a very good coach with all my restpect and i'm happy to hear that you take the blames of our this poor U20.that shows your qualitie why all nigerians have faith on you.but have to show this to us after this very world cup.we have a very young striker Ideye Brown with 10 goals in 11 matches that cloud put this show of our poor team in sure story of the town,i'm not trying to teach you your job but we that believen in you as the best coach in nigeria is our rigth to say who is good to our team.Ghana's Samuel Inkoom plays in the same league with his.take note of him and am sure that nigerians will like to see that strong strike both on land and air good finisher.

collins: 2009-09-30 20:37

Siasia your are a very good coach with all my respect and i'm happy to hear that you take the blames of our this poor U20.that shows your qualitie why all nigerians have faith on you.but have to show this to us after this very world cup.we have a very young striker Ideye Brown with 10 goals in 11 matches that cloud put this show of our poor team in sure story of the town,i'm not trying to teach you your job but we that believen in you as the best coach in nigeria is our rigth to say who is good to our team.Ghana's Samuel Inkoom plays in the same league with his.take note of him and am sure that nigerians will like to see that strong strike both on land and air good finisher.

Leonard: 2009-10-01 00:56

Obiora N****wo should be called up immediately to GREEN eagles camp!!!!!!

cantona: 2009-10-01 08:07

Even if we qualify for the next round,we should be ashamed of the manner of doing so.If the truth must be told the team and siasia has failed us and they must be told so.Siasia is complaining that 3 months is not enough for him to raise a youth team for nigeria and of players coming late to camp and this is the coach most people here want to handle the SE where coming to camp late is the order of the day and 3 days of training is considered a bonus by the coach.also nigerians should stop blaming refs for our poor result as we are not the only black or africa country there,Ghana and cameroun are there too and have won games with the same refs,we should just accept the fact that this team is bad.if it were to be anothe rcoach am sure he would be sacked,so siasia should face the same treatment that others that fail faced

ade: 2009-10-01 08:15

Hi All,

I can see this team qualifying for the finals. I know a lot of you will disagree with this but take note and makesure you come back to acknowledge this prediction.

I: 2009-10-01 10:45

Please Kickoffnigeria.com, extend my message to Samson Siasia. Tell him that I love him and I will continue to love him. Right from the time he was in Super Eagle, he is my man including J.J Okocha. He is a good Coach.

Also I read the column Dr Kola. He really made a point in his column. Last time I read in the Sun News Paper that most of our Universsity females has turned our campus as Prostitutes camp. Yet our government could not do anything. There are several churches in Nigeria, yet Nigeria is the worst countries who live in sin. May God forgive our leaders who has rendered Nigeria Useless.

I: 2009-10-01 10:47


FROM GEORGE - TOGO

Please Kickoffnigeria.com, extend my message to Samson Siasia. Tell him that I love him and I will continue to love him. Right from the time he was in Super Eagle, he is my man including J.J Okocha. He is a good Coach.

Also I read the column Dr Kola. He really made a point in his column. Last time I read in the Sun News Paper that most of our Universsity females has turned our campus as Prostitutes camp. Yet our government could not do anything. There are several churches in Nigeria, yet Nigeria is the worst countries who live in sin. May God forgive our leaders who has rendered Nigeria Useless.

ken gadaffi: 2009-10-01 18:43

Hmmmmmmmmm the problem with Nigerians is that we always play our own football on paper, Hype our players so much and when they fail we start weeping.

I have taken a good look at the Standings and I am really afraid now, we may bow out today. Its a pity that it will be on a day Nigerians are celebrating independence anniversary.

There are 4 teams already with three points that could be best losers, Egypt, Cameroon, Hungary and Costa Rica. Any of them could go on to win or get the desired draw. Besides, The other teams like nigeria yet to get a point stand a better chance to get three points with better goals difference.

The only team we can better is Tahiti and with a goal shy attack as ours, one wonders if we can score the goals that can give us a chance.

Most people have blamed the referees for the two loses but was it the referees that stopped our attack from scoring goals? We never looked like a side that could score even with all the possession and chances we created.

It will be a miracle to see us through to the next round and for those saying that if we qualify we will go all the way, thats all wishfull thinking. Its like a man who is on the floor telling his assailant that if he gets up he will kill him.

My advice to those still hoping for our qualification is to sit back and enjoy the game rather than wishful thinking

THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH

ken gadaffi: 2009-10-01 18:46

You should have quitted when the ovation was loud.... i am afraid no place to hide now.

THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH

 
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