The Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) has shortlisted former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia and seven others for its vacant coaching job.
The initial list of 52 applicants was pruned to eight and the Rio 2016 Olympics bronze winner made the cut.
The former Nigerian international would battle with Georges Leekens, Paul Put, Peter Butler and Wilfried Schafer among others.
FERWAFA has confirmed that the eight coaches would be contacted subsequently
Former Nigeria coach, Samson Siasia, has said he expects John Mikel Obi to leave Chelsea during the January transfer window.
Obi has failed to make an appearance for the Blues since the start of the season and he is likely to receive offers at the turn of the year as his 11-year spell at Stamford Bridge approaches an end.
Siasia, who has worked with Obi during his two spells with Nigeria, has revealed that Obi was already contemplating a departure in August, but feels that the midfielder can be proud of his time in West London.
The 49-year-old said: “He is ready to quit Chelsea because he said this man (Antonio Conte) does not have anything for him and that was what he told me before he came down to the Olympics.
“It will be better for him to leave now because he has done very well after 11 years at Chelsea, not even Didier Drogba did not last that long there. He already has a British passport and two girls, he has done very well and will now leave.”
Obi has made a total of 368 appearances for Chelsea since 2006.
Speaking on his quitting as coach of the team, Siasia said today:
“This is not really resignation; my contract was arranged to end with the Olympics. And so the contract has ended.
“What is very important is that I get every kobo that I am owed. I need the money now than ever and I believe I have really endured and I have been cooperative.
“I spoke with a reporter but I guess the one who are referring to was extracted from the interview I granted somebody else. What I was asked was my entire story at the Olympics and this included Atlanta camping.
“Of course a lot of things happened that I can’t be really happy about especially the way the team was portrayed. But that is over as my contract has also actually ended. What is left now is my cash and that is very, very important.”
Nigeria Olympic team coach Samson Siasia has lashed out at how “disrespectful” the authorities have been to his team, saying he will now support the boys should they insist on boycotting Saturday’s quarterfinal against Denmark.
Siasia’s scathing comments on national radio Friday confirmed reports on the latest crisis that has engulfed his team in Brazil.
“We have been disrespected from all angles – the sports ministry, the Nigeria Football Federation. Is that how you will treat your own children? We are not street kids,” former Super Eagles coach Siasia fired away on Brila FM sports radio Friday morning.
“We have only been paid allowances for 11 days. There is no match bonus. What of all the months we have been training in Nigeria and Atlanta? That’s not fair.
“I have not received my salary for the past five months.
“Everything is upside down and the boys don’t want to play anymore. Whatever they want to do, I’m with them. They are right for fighting for their rights.”
Siasia continued: “The country already has a bad image, but through football it has got some good image, but still they won’t let us play.”
“I have begged these boys, but I cannot do more than what I have done to get this team up to this point.”
“I have done my best and now I am tired.”
Siasia also put a lie to an official statement by the NFF that there was no order for kits to be returned to Nigeria after the Rio Olympics.
As usual, the NFF were quick to dismiss a media report that the NFF secretariat ordered that kits be returned to the office from Rio.
But Siasia told Brila FM: ”The NFF ordered that they bring back the jerseys (from Brazil). Siji Lagunju (of the NFF technical department) was directed to bring the jerseys back to the NFF.”
Samson Siasia, the Dream Team VI coach, admitted that some five major changes to his original team line up, failed to stop the Colombians from running away with a 0-2 defeat to his team.
He spoke at a news conference after the Group B match, played at the Corinthians Arena Stadium, Sao Paulo.
Siasia said that the team failed to contain the rampaging South American team.
“The two players that tormented the Dream Team, were Teofile, spotting the 10 jersey and Miguel Borja, number 9,’’ the coach added.
“Mistakes have been made. We shall correct all these before the start of the quarter finals matches, where mistakes could prove costly.
“At that level, any team that wavers will be on their way back home. Our target is still the Olympic Gold. We can do it.
“My team realises that, and we have to work had to attain our collective aspiration,’’ he said.
Captain of the team, John Mikel Obi, pleaded with fans at home and abroad to bear with the team, that the defeat by Colombia was not the end of the road.
“We are professionals. We made our mistakes. We shall take time to effect corrections and ensure that we keep our hopes alive.
“We are here for business and we shall ensure we successfully complete our assignment,’’ he re-assured.
On problems that faced the team, he said: “we have put everything behind us. We are working as a team.
“What is important is that there is no human that does not face challenges and we have had ours, we are professionals and we are forging ahead.’’
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Head coach of Nigeria’s U-23 team, Samson Siasia, has revealed that he is being owed salaries for five months, by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Siasia is currently in Atlanta, Georgia with his squad, as they continue to prepare for next month’s Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.
“We are suffering in Atlanta. We have not received any money since we arrived this training camp. I have not been paid for the past five months,” Siasia said.
“We will not hold the country to ransom by threatening not to play our matches, but the government has to come to our rescue.
“I know that by the time the Olympics will be over, our monies will not be paid.”
The Dream Team VI are scheduled to fly to Brazil from USA on Friday.
Former CAF and FIFA instructor and one time coach of the Super Eagles Chief Adegboye Onigbinde has hailed the appointment of u-23 coach Samson Siasia as the new Super Eagles interim coach, saying he is better suited to the job than Sunday Oliseh, who was temperamental and didn’t have any experience for the role.
“When Oliseh was being appointed, I did not raise objection to it but I was particular about his background,” Onigbinde told completesportsnigeria.com. “And with the new people that have come on board, I believe they have better coaching pedigree than Oliseh.
And that was my objection when Oliseh was appointed, question of experience and behaviour, those were the two issues I raised. And during his tenure, he exhibited lack of all those things clearly. Siasia has been there once and I hope he would have learnt his lessons. I remember when he first came, in a meeting with the technical committee, I cautioned him on a certain step he was taking. I have no reason to hate any football coach in this country or anywhere, but we are talking about the fate of our country. And just about two weeks ago, as if I knew, I sent a message of commendation to Amuneke.” He added: “What is important is they getting there and doing what they are supposed to do. Where they feel that they have problems, if they see some people around them who could put them through, they should not hesitate because nobody is an island.”
Each member of the Dream Team V1 was paid the Naira equivalent of $4,000 after they defeated Algeria 2-1 to clinch the 2015 AFCON in Dakar, Senegal, on Saturday night and this brings to a total of $12,000 each player was paid.
“We have been paid our winning bonus for the final,” a player confirmed to Africanfootball.com yesterday morning. They would not have got anything had they lost the final.
In total, each player received the Naira equivalent of $12,000 for winning the U23 AFCON. Coach Samson Siasia was paid double this amount.
A further breakdown showed the team were paid the Naira equivalent of $4,000-a-player for the final win, $3,000-a-man for the semi-final win over hosts Senegal, $2,000-a-man for the opening-day win over Mali, and $1,000 for the draws with Egypt and Algeria.
They were also paid $100 per day for the 10 days they trained in The Gambia prior to this championship, which amounted to $1,000.
Credit: DailyTrust
Strikers:Taiwo Awoniyi (FSV Frankfurt, Germany), Victor Osimhen (Ultimate Strikers), Junior Ajayi (CS Sfaxien, Tunisia), Kufre Ebong (Warri Wolves)
The abductors of the 72 year old mother of U-23 National team Coach Samson Siasia, Madam Beauty Siasia, has demanded N150 million ransom for her safe return.
The younger brother of Samson, Moses Siloko Siasia, who is also the Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), in the December 5 election, made the disclosure while speaking with The Guardian in Yenagoa.
Moses disclosed that the family had opened channel of communication with the criminals. “We are communicating with them (abductors). It shall be well, we are dealing with it,” he said.
When asked if he thinks the abduction was targeted at his mother in order to distract him, he said: “If that was the plans, then it is bound to fail because I am now stronger in my resolve to come tops in the forthcoming Governorship election.
The old women was abducted on Monday in the riverside town of Odoni, Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State by about three gunmen who stormed the community in a commando-style operation on motorcycles.
Her abduction occurred less than 24 hours after a leading Ijaw musician, Grandmaster Pereama Freetown, was kidnapped by some yet to be identified gunmen at Polaku in Yenagoa.
The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Aranse assured yesterday that the police was working round the clock to ensure the safe release of Siasia’s mother.
Despite intense media speculation that national U-23 team coach, Samson Siasia would be sacked soon, a member of the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ahmed Yusuf Fresh has informed that the football house has no intention of sacking the Olympic silver medal-winning coach.
Speaking exclusively to Sports Vanguard yesterday, Yusuf said:
“There has never been a time we in the technical committee or at the executive committee level discussed any such thing. I am a member of both committees and never has that come up for discussion.”
Fresh admitted however, that Siasia was queried after what was taken as an affront against his employers.
He added: “But that was not enough for the media to suggest that it would lead to Siasia’s sack.
“Siasia was queried and he has since answered to the query. It is a normal administrative procedure which should not call for speculations that are unfounded. There is no intention to sack Siasia,”he repeated.
