27 February 2007
Lagos — Tennis
Head coach of Nigeria's U-23 national team, Samson Siasia became the centre of attraction in Sunyani, Ghana after he led his team to fight their host Ghanaian counterparts to a standstill in an All Africa Games qualifying match last Sunday.
Nigeria played out a commendable goalless draw with Ghana Black Meteors and Siasia was mobbed by Ghanaian journalists and fans after the game.
The journalists pleaded with him to grant them comprehensive interviews.
Nigeriansportsonline.com can report that the coach was regarded as miracle worker by Ghana fans who sang his praises for his technical input in the match and was carried shoulder high after the game.
In his response coach Siasia told Ghana Black Meteors to forget the All Africa Games ticket in the return leg billed for Abuja National stadium.
Siasia said that the Ghanaians stand no chance of beating his side in Abuja, stressing that Sunday's match has revealed some of the loopholes in the Black Meteors side which he hopes to capitalize on.
"I am happy my boys held on despite the bad weather here. You can see that the weather was very hot and I strongly believe the ploy by Ghana to roast my boys in the burning sun did not help them either.
"We now have the best chance to finish up the work at home in the return leg. It is not over yet because we also still have a lot to do in the team if we must smile at the end of the day.
"Like I keep saying, I do not see the match as revenge like many people have touted it to be.
"I came here to pick a win but I am happy with the draw. My players played according to instruction and we deserve what we got here today," the former Super Eagles striker, who took the Flying Eagles to a second place finish at the last World Youth Championship in the Netherlands, concluded.
Meanwhile, the NFA Technical Committee Head, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi has carpeted chieftains of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) over the poor treatment meted out to the U-23 Eagles ahead of Sunday's All Africa Games qualifier with Black Meteors.
Ogunjobi insisted that the choice of Eusbeth Hotel was a ploy by GFA officials to frustrate Nigeria in encounter billed for the Sunyani Coronation Park.
"We Nigerians love to play the big brothers in African football, yet we are been subjected into all sorts of bad treatment by our opponents each time we are engaged in any international matches," he fumed.
"You can imagine what we are made to go through since Thursday when we got here; There has been several parties organized by the locals at the hotel when they are quite aware of the psychological effect it would have on our players.
"It can be painful the way these countries treat us. Nigeria is always at the receiving end despite our generosity and kindness."
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