Barely a week after his ban was completed, Ex Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia has been linked with the vacate managerial position of the Nigeria’s senior national team.
Siasia also know as SiaOne, was hammered with a life ban by FIFA for alleged match fixing, however, succour came the way of the Bayelsa-born gaffer in 2019 when the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) reduced the ban to five years and the $50,000 fine quashed.
His availability to coaching again has seen his name consistently resonant among the possible managers for the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
Although the former Nantes striker has a questionable profile with the Senior team, but his proven track record with the Nigeria’s underage team has placed him good stead for the role of a Super Eagles manager.
He won the African Youth Championship and advanced all the way to the world final – before losing to Argentina 2–1.
Samson Siasia was appointed national U-23 coach in January 2007. In 2008, he coached the Nigerian Under-23 Olympic squad to the final against Argentina.
In a superbly played series of matches, Nigeria's team earned the Olympic Silver Medals. Earlier in 2008, the U-23 team won the inaugural Intercontinental Cup in Malaysia.
He returned to the U-23 post in 2015 and led Nigeria to the 2016 Rio Olympics, winning bronze medal, team Nigeria’s only medal at the global event.
Siasia’s last national assignment was a disaster. On 4 November 2010, he was named as the national team coach to succeed Swedish Lars Lagerbäck. He was fired on 28 October 2011 for failing to take the Nigeria team to the 2012 African Nations Cup in Gabon & Equatorial Guinea.
Despited dent on his coaching profile, the former Heartland FC manager is still a man of the people even while serving his five year suspension.
Although both the media and top football stakeholders in the country anticipate the return of one their best indigenous football mind but Siasia must avoid the temptation of taking the Senior National Team role.
The Super Eagles is again likely to miss out on the World Cup in 2026 and this is largely due to the fault of the federation.
The Nigeria Football Federation after the success of the three time champions at the last Africa Cup of Nation in Côte d’Ivoire failed to keep their former head coach, Jose Peseiro prompting the appoint of his then assistant, Finidi George rather a more experienced Emannuel Amunike.
Finidi although had his shortcomings, but his flaws further revealed the inability of the federation to manage success leaving the team in a depleted form.
All of these and with the reoccurring financial debacle of the NFF, Siasia can not afford to start the new phase of his live with all these.
The federation must stop using the coaches, especially the local ones as a mup stick for the spillage they created.
Siasia needs to remind the football world of his skill sets as a coach. He can’t afford to fall on the most popular football platform in the country.
Nigerians may not have the patience of looking through his challenges and so should rather work his way back to the top, start with a job less expectations in the U-23 or U-20 or even in clubs in the country.
SiaOne should avoid the Super Eagle coaching role, so he won’t be a bush meat walking into a trap out of desperation.
By Olujimi Dare Ogun