Rio2016: No Automatic Shirt for Any Player, Says Siasia

Dream Team VI Coach, Samson Siasia has warned his holidaying players that none of them is guaranteed a place yet in Nigeria’s Under-23 squad to the men’s football event of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Siasia who is determined to surpass the silver he won when Nigeria lost to a Lionel Messi inspired Argentina at the final of Beijing 2008 Games, insisted yesterday that only the best available players would make the team to Brazil.

The former Super Eagles supremo who is currently on vacation in the United States of America, disclosed that himself and his assistants will use the February camping in Abuja to see any new player could add value to the team that won the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations in Senegal last month.

"Since we qualified for the football event of the Rio Olympics, a lot of players both at home and abroad have been calling me that they want to play for the country, so myself and my assistants intend to use the first week of camping to see these players who will bear the cost of their trip to the camp and accommodate themselves.

“Any of them selected will now be added to the players who made us proud in Senegal for a full camping. Mind you, no player is yet guaranteed a shirt in the team, as I have always said only the best legs will make it to Rio de Janeiro,” stressed the ex international.

He revealed that that the African Under-23 champions will commence preparations for the Rio Olympics in the first week of February.
"For now, time is not on our hands and as such, we need to start work in a bid to present a team that will make Nigerians proud in Brazil. For me, after winning silver at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, my next target is to go all out for gold in Rio, and I strongly believe we have the players that can achieve this," pledged the coach.

Siasia, who also led the Under-20 boys to the African title and runner-up position at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in The Netherlands in 2005, stated that he intends to utilise all the FIFA windows available to him and his technical crew in seeing players at close range.

"For now my plans are to utilise fully all the FIFA windows beginning with the one in March, with the hope of taking players selected to an accessible country in Europe where all the overseas -based players can come with ease, play one or two friendly games and then have them return to their respective club sides."

The former Super Eagles’ captain added that for now, he has not made up his mind on the issue of which over-aged players to take to the Olympics even as Chelsea stalwart, John Mikel Obi and Watford inform forward, Odion Ighalo, are being tipped as two of the likely three.