Nigeria: I’m Excited About Argentina Match – Siasia

9 May 2011

Super Eagles chief coach, Samson Siasia is excited about the prospects of leading the team against former Word Champions, Argentina in an international friendly match billed for the Abuja National Stadium later this month.

“I am very excited about the match, I must confess,” he said, adding, “it is going to be a real rumble.”

Siasia who as a player, scored against Argentina in a USA ’94 World Cup group match said the June 1, match will provide a platform for the settlement of football scores between Nigeria and Argentina.

“We have never beaten them before. It is going to be a very serious match,” the coach said.

He expressed hope that the Eagles will rise to the occasion and for once turn the table against the South Americans. “I hope our boys from Europe will respond favourably and put the Argentines in check when we play.”

The Bayelsa State born tactician boasted that he had never run away from big tests. “I have never been afraid of any match in my life; even when I was a player. What we need is good preparation. I like big challenges,” he said.

Samson Siasia has never won a match against Argentina, both as a player and as coach.

At the USA ’94 World Cup, the Super Eagles parading Samson Siasia lost 1-2 to the Argies. Incidentally, Siasia scored Nigeria’s only goal.

As coach of the junior national team, he lost the final of the 2005 U-20 World Cup to a Lionel Messi inspired Argentina, 2-0. At the Beijing Olympics, Siasia’s tutored team lost 1-0 to Argentina in the final.

Eagles chief coach, Samson Siasia has said that it was not important whether he led the Eagles to retaining the West African Football Union trophy the team won last year by winning the ongoing tournament in Abeokuta.

Answering reporters’ at the end of the training session that preceded Eagles’ 4-0 crushing of the Menas of Niger Saturday, Siasia said, “it is not important to me whether we are able to win it (WAFU Cup) again. That is not one of my worries. My biggest worry is how to qualify for the African Cup of Nations and the World Cup.”

He promised to work hard towards achieving his twin-objectives by going to Addis Ababa and perform well against Ethiopia.

He believes the home-based Eagles will go a long way if given the right environment and good preparation before tournaments.

It was evident in the team’s first match against Liberia as the players struggled to keep pace with the sleek-playing Liberians. “They did not have more than two training sessions before the match,” Siasia confirmed, promising that they would improve with time.

Against Niger the team showed character and hunger as they downed Niger 4-0 to record two victories in two matches. “We need to be together and play more often. Our team is a work in progress,” Siasia said.

AllAfrica – All the Time