Tag Archives: U 23

Samson Siasia Releases List Of 21 Players For Under 23 Nations Cup

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Nigeria’s under – 23 team coach Samson Siasia, has announced a 21-player list for the upcoming Africa U – 23 Cup of Nations to take place in Senegal. Golden Boot winner at the 2015 Fifa Under 17 World Cup, Victor Osimhen, and Liverpool loanee Taiwo Awoniyi are the big names on the list.

In the Nigeria Under 23s latest friendly, they were held to a 1 – 1 draw by the Under 20 National Team of Gambia, with skipper Oghenekaro Etebo opening scoring in the 53rd minute.
The u-23 team will depart their training camp in the Gambia on Thursday, November 26 ahead of their first game against Mali on Sunday.
Squad list in full:-
Goalies: Yusuf Mohammed (Kano Pillars), Emmanuel Iwu (Heartland), Emmanuel Daniel (Enugu Rangers)
Defnders: Zaharadeen Bello (Kano Pillars), Seun Olubayo (Sunshine Stars), Chizoba Amaefule (Dolphins), Ebuka Iroha (Diamond Football Academy), Sincere Seth (Supreme Court FC), Seun Oduduwa (Nath Boys)
Midfielders : Azubuike Okechukwu (Yeni Matalatyaspor, Turkey), Godspower Aniefiok (Kano Pillars), Ndifreke Effiong (Abia Warriors), Usman Mohammed (FC Taraba),Tiongoli Tobara (Bayelsa United), Bature Yaro (Nasarawa United), Oghenekaro Etebo, Stanley Dimgba (both Warri Wolves)

Strikers:Taiwo Awoniyi (FSV Frankfurt, Germany), Victor Osimhen (Ultimate Strikers), Junior Ajayi (CS Sfaxien, Tunisia), Kufre Ebong (Warri Wolves)

Siasia, U-23 Team Escape Plane Crash In Ghana

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Nigerian U-23 team and their coaches including Samson Siasia escaped a plane crash on their way to Gambia on Sunday morning when their plane developed technical faults mid-air forcing the crew to make an emergency landing in Ghana.

 

The team were on their way to Gambia where they are expected to hold a 10-day pre-Africa U-23 Cup of Nations camping. The tournament, an African qualifying championship for the football event of the Rio 2016 Olympics, will hold in Senegal later this month.

 

Report on the website of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, says though the team had eventually landed at their destination Sunday evening, they experienced near-death situation before they could get to The Gambia.

 

It was gathered that the ARIK Air aircraft conveying the team from Lagos lost a tyre on landing at the Kotoka International Airport, Accra. The airplane that was on ground in Accra was then deployed for the purpose of flying the team to The Gambia, but that also lost an engine on take –off and the pilot had to make a quick return.

 

ARIK, however, provided another aircraft that flew the delegation to The Gambia through Dakar.

 

Meanwhile, Coach Siasia has wielded th?e big stick by dropping Kingsley Sokari, Nzube Anaezemba and Daniel Etor for what he termed indiscipline.

 

Siasia said the players were sent packing after they requested to leave the camp to go for their Club’s (Enyimba) last NPFL game of the season against Sunshine Stars in Lagos, even after he (Siasia) had told all the players they could not leave camp.

 

“I feel bad in taking this decision, but discipline must be maintained for us to achieve success in Senegal. All players in camp were told not to leave camp as the team would be traveling this weekend to The Gambia for pre-Championship training, only for these three players to come and ask to be allowed to go play for their club as they wanted to be part of the victory parade. I had no option but to allow them leave and also in the process, leave them out of the team.”

 

Siasia then wished them well in their pursuit of club glory, while urging them to wish the national team well.

 

Credit: PM News

NFF Says They Will Not Sack Samson Siasia

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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.