By Onochie Anibeze
Between February 9 when Nigeria played Sierra Leone in a friendly match in Lagos and now, the home-based  Eagles have improved tremendously. This was the assessment of national team handler, Samson Siasia,  yesterday while still lamenting the disappointment that was the Green Bowl Tournament in Dallas.

Samson Siasia

Siasia went with the home Eagles after training sessions that lasted more than one month. He had hoped to use the tournament to further assess about three more players that he hoped could beef up the number of local players in the main team. Against Sierra Leone, he fielded the likes of Chibuzor Okonkwo, Ekigho Ehiosun, Michael Odibe, Julius Ubido who all play in the local league.

There were also new foreign -based players in Joel Obi, Ahmed Musa, Peter Utaka and Emmanuel Emenike.

“I had more players that  I wanted Nigerians to see. I really wanted to showcase a few talents that we have been working on in the short period that we have started work,” Siasia said yesterday,” adding “it is painful that we returned without playing the tournament.

Organisers  failed in the organisation of the tournament Siasia banked on to confirm a few technical things about the players he had in mind. He wanted to see them in match situations before he could give them a chance in a competitive game. And now that the chance has been blown, Siasia may not field untested players against Ethiopia in the March 26 Nations Cup qualifier.

He plans to field them in yet another proposed friendly March 29 in Malta. The plans have not been concluded.

“The boys I took to USA have improved tremendously. I wanted to showcase them in the failed  matches for Nigerians to see what we have done within this short while. But it’s okay. If we get a chance to play March 29,  which is a FIFA free date,  we may bring in some of them. We are working on March 29 but that would be after our qualifier so the players may have to wait,” Siasia said yesterday.