NFF sticks with Siasia

In spite of the failure of the Super Eagles to qualify for the 2017 Nations Cup, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is sticking with interim Coach Samson Siasia.
Nigeria failed to secure a ticket after the lone goal defeat in the hands of Egypt last Tuesday in Alexandria, even with a match at hand against Tanzania.
Nigeria is second in Group G with two points from three matches, Egypt is top with seven points from the same number of matches.
Even if Nigeria beats Tanzania with a wide margin, it will end up with five points.
A source in NFF Glass House, Abuja said: “We are impressed with what he (Siasia) was able to do with the team within the short period that he took over after Sunday Oliseh resigned.
“Though we could not qualify for the Nations Cup, we cannot put the blame on his head. The team was just unlucky not to have won the two legs of the matches against the Egyptians in Kaduna and Alexandria.
“Apart from that, Oliseh resigned recently and we drafted Siasia for a make-shift arrangement and we cannot just discard him.
“If you watch the first leg match on March 25 in Kaduna, you will agree with me that Siasia did a great job on the players and we were just unfortunate not to have run away with the three points at stake.
“Perhaps, if we had won in Kaduna, the situation might have been different in Alexandria. But all the same, Siasia tried with the players and we are thus sticking with him for now.”
However, fans are blaming NFF officials for the failure to pick a ticket.
Most of them liken it to ‘show of shame’ created by the NFF in the handling of issues with coaches.
Such was the situation with Oliseh in the wake of the failure at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Rwanda six months after he took over from Stephen Keshi
It was also the same negative approach in the first tenure of Siasia; two time Head Coach, Adegboye Onigbinde; Shuaibu Amodu; Christian Chukwu; Austin Eguavoen; German Berti Vogts; and Bonfrere Jo of Holland.
Anyway, Siasia has apologised to football followers for the inability to qualify for the Nations Cup.
He said the Egyptians were very lucky to have won the match as Super Eagles players gave a good account of themselves.
“It was unfortunate that we lost the match. That the Egyptians were lucky to have won is not an overstatement but that is football for you,” he added.
Onigbinde, FIFA and CAF Instructor, stressed that it was unfortunate Nigeria crashed out, expressing displeasure that the team conceded a last minute goal in the first leg against Egypt.
Said he: “That was a very bad mistake that we did, conceding that goal at that crucial time of the match. I want to believe that it actually played a part in the second leg match in Alexandria. Very unfortunate but we have to move on.”