Jude Opara
15 March 2011
Abuja — Barely 24 hours after it was reported that Super Eagles head coach Samson Siasia has agreed to release the duo of Obiora Nwankwo and Nnamdi Oduamadi to national U-23 team handled by his former team mate Austin Eguavoen, the coach insists he never agreed to allow Oduamadi who plays for AC Milan to join the team.
Siasia told journalists yesterday in Abuja that he has already discussed the issue of the release of the Italy-based player with Eguavoen, stating that the player has a lot to offer the senior national team in its make or mar African Cup of Nations qualifier against the Antelops of Ehiopia in Abuja on March 27.
He said he has no problem with the U-23 team coach, stating that he had discussed with him, and both agreed that Obiora Nwankwo who plies his trade with another Milan side, Inter Milan be allowed to play at the U-23 level since the U-23 team is equally pursuing a very important match against Equatorial Guinea in Benin the same weekend that Nigeria will confront Ethiopia.
According to Siasia, it was as a result of the assurance which he got from England -based Chelsea FC midfielder, Mikel Obi on his availability for the Ethiopian match that made him to agree to release Nwankwo to Eguavoen.
“I have had a fruitful discussion with my friend and colleague, Augustine and we only agreed that I should release Obiora Nwankwo for his team. We never talked about Nnamdi Oduamadi.So I do not know where people got the information of Oduamadi going to the U-23 team from”, stated Siasia who insisted that Oduamadi has a lot to contribute in the game against Ethiopia.
The former Flying Eagles handler also confirmed that the NFF has made available for him, a tape containing some of the recent matches of the Ethiopians, adding that he has agreed with the NFF technical committee to send one of the Super Eagles coaches to monitor the other group B match between leaders Guinea and Madagascar in Antananarivo the same weekend.
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