For the umpteenth time, Chief Coach of the national Under-23 football team, Samson Siasia, has called for support from all and sundry in his bid to succeed in the task assigned to him.
The former Super Eagles handler, in a telephone chat with TheNiche, especially urged the sporting press to avail him of information on the players so far selected by him and his technical crew, for them to have a scandal-free team.
He said: “The team is not that of Samson Siasia alone or my technical crew, but it is the team of all Nigerians. That is why we all need to give us the support to succeed in our task.
“There is no way we will have all the information about the players we have selected from the screening exercise. Some Nigerians are closer to the players than us, and they know them better than us.
“That is why I am begging all stakeholders, including club managers and team officials who these players must have played under, to give us credible information on them, and I can assure that such information will be looked into.
“Availing us information on some of the players will be in the interest of all Nigerians, and it will go a long way in helping us succeed in our task.”
Meanwhile, the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has assured the technical crew and players of the team, Dream Team VI, of all the needed support they need to succeed in all their endeavours to qualify for both the All Africa Games (AAG) and next year’s Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.
According to the Media Officer of the team, Timi Ebikagboro, the assurance was given by the acting president of the NFF, Seyi Akinwunmi, while addressing the team at the FIFA goal project after the team’s training session.
“Whatever we will do to assist you, I can assure you that the federation will not shy away from it. We did not end last year on a high note due to our failure in qualifying for the Africa Cup Nations (AFCON); so we want you to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians by qualifying for all the competitions you have entered for.”
Akinwunmi further expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the team, as there has been no negative report from the camp since it started with the screening process.
He assured them that the issue of kits for the team would be solved before the week runs out as the federation has gotten delivery of new kits.
While calling on the players to be disciplined at all times, so as not to be sent home by their coaches, Akinwunmi told the players that it’s only when they are disciplined that they can graduate to the senior national team, Super Eagles.