Before we crucify Samson Siasia
Let’s look at the theory of ‘War Against Indigenous Coaches’
Stephen Aya l Tuesday, August 20, 2019
LAGOS, Nigeria- Let me quickly say at this point that I am not in support of coaches or managers receiving bribes from players to invite or include them in teams or officials or even betting agents to fix matches, but I must say that football has become a high class racket over the last 10 years as witnessed in the collapse of the reign and regime of Sepp Blatter.
FIFA met without informing or inviting you. You were not even aware of the plot to ban you for life. The declaration was a shocker to the football fraternity. Many are asking, why life ban? Is this not too harsh a penalty? How come FIFA treated the case so swiftly? A case instituted in February was done and dusted in August…..
Racket in match fixing, racket in players’ transfer, racket in bidding to host tournaments (which threw FIFA into a historic scandal that consumed it’s top brass) and racket to determine which team wins a tournament among others. Here at home, we know of an unwritten law that once a southern team wins the League, a northern team must win the FA Cup and vice versa. It is all part of the racket.
Suffice this to mean that Samson Siasia is not alone in this mess or scandal if you like. All dogs eat shit but the one with shit on it’s mouth is tagged shit-eater. It hurts to see Siasia in this shameful situation which “plots” to end his glorious coaching career.
Yes, his career has been glorious at least with the national teams he handled from the U-20 to U-23 to Super Eagles. It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks, feels, assumes or says. Siasia ranks among Nigeria’s best crop of coaches in the last 14 years (whether indigenous or foreign). And they are just a handful if you may know.
May be, just may be the anti-graft bodies in the country should use this latest development as an alibi to carry out the long overdue probe and cleansing of our sporting sector. It stinks – the stench chokes and it is equally suffocating the nation’s development through sports
Yes, it plots to end his coaching career. There has been a calculated attempt to rubbish Nigerian indigenous coaches. This plot did not start today. From the era of Late Stephen Okechukwu Keshi till date. Keshi was on assignment with the Super Eagles in South Africa 2013 AFCON when his employers were plotting to kick him out after just two games in the tournament. He returned up with the trophy but got frustrated out of the system despite qualifying the country for the Brazil 2014 World Cup where his team ended the race in the second round.
Then came Austin Eguavoen, Siasia and Sunday Oliseh at different times but all got kicked out. Those working against indigenous coaches have found their ways into CAF and FIFA thus using the influence and official powers and instruments of office to rope in our local coaches in endless scandals. Of course, our coaches no doubt fell into the traps….and they deserve what they are getting.
It is suspicious to note that while the football topguns find their ways into powerful positions in CAF and FIFA, our coaches, ex-internationals and referees don’t enjoy similar rise into such enviable positions. In fact, our ex-internationals (who are mostly in pole positions for national team coaching jobs) are dreaded and treated like lepers. They are merely good for less important assignments and positions – at best coaches or members of technical committee of the Federation.
We have long called for a probe of our football in particular and sports in general, but it has remained an illusion because those running sports have too much money to block the voices of the few saying the truth and those whose responsibility it is to carry out such probes, yet coaches are caught taking bribe and publicized.
Aside the case of Dr. Amos Adamu and the FIFA bid mess no Nigerian top sports administrator has been investigated at home over financial misappropriation even in the face of several petitions and complains. But for the undercover foreign reporter and the FBI swoop on FIFA bigwigs, Adamu would have escaped unhurt. We cannot forget how FIFA queried the NFF a couple of years back over poor handling of the grant given to the later. How about the missing $150, 000 in the AFN which was a grant from IAAF? Yet no probe because those involved are loaded!
Siasia’s case is a “dark shadow” on Nigeria indigenous coaches. Salisu Yusuf messed himself up and painted an ugly picture of local coaches and now Siasia has hurled mud on ex-internationals, thus butressing the position of those who say indigenous coaches are taking bribe from players and destroying our teams. You can now understand and appreciate the gameplan of handing over the coaching of Super Eagles and Super Falcons to foreigners.
May be, just may be the anti-graft bodies in the country should use this latest development as an alibi to carry out the long overdue probe and cleansing of our sporting sector. It stinks – the stench chokes and it is equally suffocating the nation’s development through sports.
But for now, Siasia, kindly carry your cross and lick your sore wound as we await your “fight back” pledge. It’s indeed a pity!!! You were battling with the abduction saga of your mother, unknown to you knives were already pulled out behind you. Petition had been lying on FIFA’s desk over allegation levelled against you.
FIFA met without informing or inviting you. You were not even aware of the plot to ban you for life. The declaration was a shocker to the football fraternity. Many are asking, why life ban? Is this not too harsh a penalty? How come FIFA treated the case so swiftly? A case instituted in February was done and dusted in August…..
We pray it is not a case of voice of Jacob and hand of Esau, especially when we know you have been fighting so many cold wars even from your clan. Be strong because in all these, we know you remain one of the best coaches Africa has produced. Best wishes as we hope your defence makes some sense!
