Samson Siasia: 32 Years of Distinguished Football Career

The football world was Friday afternoon assailed with the news of the life ban of ex Super Eagles Player and Coach, Samson Siasia by the football governing body, FIFA.

He was banned by FIFA over allegation of bribe against him.

Advertisement

Siasia, according to a FIFA statement on Friday, was banned for accepting bribe “for the manipulation of matches”.

Siasia played for Nigeria’s national team, the Super Eagles from 1984 to 1999. He had his last coaching job in 2016. As the player who many regard as a legend of the round leather game is unceremoniously whisked away from all football related activities for life, THE WHISTLER takes a look at some of his achievements as a player and a coach.

Club Career

Siasia played most notably for French team FC Nantes where he became league champion in the 1994/1995 season.

Advertisement

He also played for Australian club Perth Glory with fellow Nigerian Peter Anosike, as well as in Belgium, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and Israel.

International Career

Siasia played 51 international matches for Nigeria, in which he scored thirteen goals, and was part of the team that participated in the 1994 FIFA World Cup and won the 1994 African Nations Cup.

He was also a member of the Nigerian team that won bronze at 1992 African Nations Cup in Senegal.

He participated in the National Team over a period of 11 years and was recognized in Nigeria as the third leading scorer for the National Team.

Advertisement

Honours

Club

Nantes

Ligue 1: 1994–95

International

Nigeria

Advertisement

African Cup of Nations

Winner: 1994

3rd Place: 1992

Afro-Asian Cup of Nations: 1995

FIFA World Youth Championship: Bronze 1985

Coaching Career

In 2005, he coached the under 20 team (Flying Eagles), taking them to the finals of both the 2005 Under-20 World Cup and the U-20 African Youth Championship.

He won the African Youth Championship and advanced all the way to the world final – before losing to Argentina 2–1. He also assisted Augustine Eguavoen in coaching the national team.

He was also appointed national U-23 coach in January 2007. In 2008, he coached the Nigerian Under-23 Olympic squad to the final against Argentina. In a superbly played series of matches, Nigeria’s team earned the Olympic Silver Medals.

Earlier in 2008, the U-23 team won the inaugural Intercontinental Cup in Malaysia. This fine team was composed entirely of domestic Nigerian players and won the Cup against many teams headed for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

In addition to his position as head coach of the Under 23 Olympic Eagles, he developed a youth academy in the capital city Abuja, called SiaOne Soccer Academy.

On 17 March 2009, he was reappointed as the head coach of the under-20 team after they finished a disappointing 3rd in the 2009 African Youth Championship.

He received a six-month contract to coach Heartland F.C. in July 2010.

On 4 November 2010, he was named as the national team coach to succeed Swedish Lars Lagerbäck.

Siasia was one of the five foreign managers auctioned in February 2012 for the new Bengal Premier League Soccer. His former national teammate, Jay-Jay Okocha, was bought by the same club from the five icon players up for auction.

On 26 February 2016, he was named by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as the Chief Coach of the Nigeria national football team, the Super Eagles, to be assisted by Salisu Yusuf, Emmanuel Amunike and Aloysius Agu after the resignation of Sunday Oliseh from the position.

He returned to the U-23 post in 2015 and led Nigeria to the Rio Olympics. In February 2017 he was one of a number of managers on the shortlist for the vacant Rwanda national team manager role.

In April 2018 he was one of 77 applicants for the vacant Cameroon national team job.

State Honour

In November 2009, the main field at the Yenagoa Township Stadium was named in his honor.

Leave a comment

Advertisement