By Tony Ubani
AS Nigerians continue to grit their teeth in agony over the missing out on the African Cup of Nations to be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea next year, the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has finally agreed on how to solve the puzzle on whether to sack or retain coach Samson Siasia.

The Super Eagles played annoying football and surrendered their 2-1 lead thirty seconds to regulation time and allowed Guinea to draw level and kick dust into their eyes and bid bye to the Nations Cup. Since that debacle on Saturday, shell-shocked Nigerians have been locked on arguments on whether to sack or retain coach Samson Siasia.

Sports Vanguard can reveal that after issuing the coach a query, the technical Committee have recommended the employment of a superior coach for Siasia to work under him. In agreeing to hire a new coach for the Eagles, the

Technical Committee took into cognisance Siasia’s contract which mandated him to get to the semi finals of the African Cup of Nations. It’s simple. He agreed to meet the semi-final target but has failed to even qualify the team to the tournament proper, a member of the Technical Committee who sought anonymity said.

Siasia

Our findings revealed that the technical committee were unanimous in their decision to hire a ‘superior’ coach as part of the rebuilding process for the national team. What this means is that coach Samson Siasia may not be asked to leave as they would give him the option to work under the new manager. That appears an impossible condition as Siasia has said that he would not work under any coach. Sources from the technical committee also informed that Siasia was condemned in very strong terms for his choice of players who prosecuted the match against Guinea.

We were baffled to see Ike Uche on the bench when the likes of Emmanuel Emenike, Chinedu Ogbuke-Obasi and Osaze Odemwingie played minus”,

Based on the recommendations of the Technical Committee, it appears a bridge too far for Siasia to survive the tide of events after writing his name in history as the coach that punctuated Nigeria’s 25-years of un-interupted qualification for the African Cup of Nations.

Nollywood star wants Siasia sacked

By Tony Ubani

The Samson Siasia saga hit a sour note yesterday when even Nollywood Star, Diewait Ikpechukwu joined the fray in asking the coach to take the exit door. “It is only a stubborn fly that follows the corpse to the grave”, Diewait who was an ardent football administrator and commentator before he branched into acting said.

The former Team Manager of NITEL FC who spoke on our hotline said it was laughable for Samson Siasia to ask for mercy and forgiveness from NFF and Nigerians after the Eagles got kicked out of the Nations Cup.

“Was this not the same coach who refused to forgive players who erred and asked for forgiveness asking for forgiveness?”, Diewait asked. “Siasia forgot that no condition is permanent. He has failed Nigeria and should give way”, Diewait still seething from the Nations Cup ouster said.