Nigeria: Kanu Pats Siasia on the Back

Daily Independent (Lagos)

30 March 2011

Nigeria’s newly appointed football ambassador Nwankwo Kanu has saluted the flying start of coach Samson Siasia.

Siasia has won his first three matches in charge of the team. He got off to a winning start last month by beating Sierra Leone 2-1 in a friendly, before his team bombed Ethiopia 4-0 in a crucial Nations Cup qualifier on Sunday.

And on Tuesday night, Siasia’s Eagles soared above Kenya 3-0 in a friendly.

“He’s on the right footing. The team is scoring goals, not conceding and creating chances,” remarked Kanu, who watched as the Eagles stopped the Harambee Stars of Kenya in their tracks on Tuesday in Abuja.

After over 17 years with the Eagles, Kanu has quit international football and will in the summer formally mark this by a testimonial, which is aimed at raising part of the $35 million he needs to build a heart specialist hospital in Abuja.

Chelsea star Mikel Obi, who wore the captain’s armband in the second half following the substitution of Joseph Yobo, also hail Siasia’s philosophy of attacking football.

“Siasia wants to attack and we are working very hard to fulfil his philosophy,” further endorsed Mikel Obi.

“I want to play for Siasia and work for the overall success of the team.”

The Eagles recent exploits would most certainly improve Nigeria’s FIFA ranking of 39th.

However, the bigger challenge for the 43-year-old coach will come from June, when Nigeria first host Argentina and Lionel Messi in a high-profile friendly before they jet out for a Nations Cup qualifier in Ethiopia a few days later.

In September, they will be away to bottom team Madagascar in continuation of their Nations Cup campaign, which they will round up with a home game against group leaders Guinea.

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