Siasia, Not Yet Uhuru

Daily Independent (Lagos)

Peter Edema

4 June 2011

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Since Samson Siasia assumed the headship of Super Eagles technical crew on December 1, 2010, the team has not only recorded some great strides, it has also restored some degree of confidence in Nigerians.

In his first assignment, Siasia defeated Sierra Leone in an international friendly 2-1 in Lagos before a 4-0 defeat of Ethiopia in his first competitive engagement. Two days after walloping Ethiopia, Eagles defeated Kenya in a hurriedly organised friendly 5-0.

Eagles good run was capped last Wednesday in another international friendly against Argentina winning 4-1. Many will argue that the two times world champions paid heavily for fielding an experimental side, with the World Footballer of the Year, Lionel Messi; Carlos Tevez, Javier Mascherano and Sergio Aguero absent. But quoting Ike Uche, who scored two of the Eagles four goals in the match: “We knew Argentina had good players.” This presupposes that any player on parade must be good to serve as replacement for the absentee ones.

Nikki Rixon/Twenty Ten/Africa Media Online

Half a continent away from their fans, Nigeria could not overcome Ethiopia in the altitude of Addis Ababa.

For years, if not decades, the team has failed to re-enact its form of early 90s, when it instilled fears into its opponents. It was such performance that earned it the number five spot on FIFA Rankings before the 1994 World Cup in USA. Super Eagles announced its appearance at the world stage with a 3-0 walloping of Bulgaria, one of the teams tipped to win the tournament, in its 1994 World Cup opening match. After losing 2-1 to Argentina in its second match, it redeemed its image with a 2-0 defeat of Greece and topped the group ahead of Argentina. But that was all that can be said of the Super Eagles that held much hope.

Clemence Westerhof that led the team to USA left unceremoniously after series of internal wrangling that culminated in its second round exit by losing 2-1 to Italy. His assistant, Johannes Bonfrere, took over.

After Bonfrere’s exit, the team fortune nosedived, with its dwindling fortune continuing unabated. Many reasons accounted for this, such as players’ indiscipline with the greatest of the reasons been the failure of the football house to employ a quality manager to handle it. Employment of coach for the the team became a ‘paddy paddy affair’ with the success of the team not on the priority list of those who recruited its manager. Personal interest took centre stage and at the end the team was the worst for it.

If not, Siasia would have been employed to handle the team ahead of Shaibu Amodu, who got the opportunity to manage the team, despite placing second in the interview conducted by the Glass House. We were all witnesses to the sort of Eagles on parade during his reign, though he qualified the team for the 2010 World Cup.

But time has changed. With Siasia on board, we are now witnessing a new era whereby the team is gradually returning to its old winning ways.

However, Siasia should be be reminded that it is not yet uhuru. He should start a dancing party for beating Argentina 4-1. I don’t subscribe to the school of thought that Argentina came with weaker team. We defeated Argentina and that is it. The coach must be reminded that the team has not qualified for the 2012 African Cup of Nations. In fact, the team has a very crucial match today in Addis Ababa. Qualifying for the Nations Cup is a task that must be done while winning the tournament should the coach’s priority because Nigerians are beginning to see in him as being capable of winning the Nations Cup last won in 1994.

I saw on Wednesday a coordinated team; there was a link between the defence and the midfield and the attack, there was rhythm and also individual display of talents in some instances. It was a much improved Eagles that was committed and determined unlike the era before Siasia where such commitment and determination were lacking.

But the team on parade is far from the one that will seek to dominate the continent once again. While we seem not be lacking in quality strikers, the midfield and the defence have not measured up to expectations. The midfield was without vision and is lacking in creativity. There was no player with the sort of creativity and deep vision needed to propel it to the highest level of the game.

Also, this is the time for Siasia to really be very, very sober in his approach to issues, especially with his players. I’ve restrained myself from commenting on his relationship with Osaze Odemwingie of late because am in agreement with the punishment meted out to the player. Team discipline is a necessary condition for him to succeed. I don’t believe that Osaze should get away with the attitude put up. But I will appeal with the coach to forgive the player after serving out the two-match ban because the essence of punishment is to reform and not to destroy. He has proved that without Osaze, the team can go places and by now the player will know that the team can do without him because there are several others waiting for the opportunity to make the team.

Siasia should be reminded that success has many fathers while a failure is an orphan.

Give Blatter the credit

This is not the best of time for FIFA, the world football governing body. For the body has had to endure the worst of times in its 107 years of existence. It is not as if the body has succeeded in getting the entire scenario, the bribery scandals, off its back, but at least, it has been able to forge ahead as a unity despite moves by the Football Association (FA) to get the president election that held last Wednesday postponed.

Despite all the scandals that the body is coping with, it was able to re-elect Sepp Joseph Blatter last Wednesday. This is a credit to Blatter’s political suaveness. Blatter’s Machiavellian move against Mohammed Bin Hammam in getting the Qataris to withdraw his candidacy at the last minute attest to the fact that the 75-year old Swiss has entrenched himself in the politics of the body and remains the only man with the capacity to defeat Blatter.

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