Nigeria Football Federation President Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdullahi yesterday said Flying Eagles' Chief Coach Samson Siasia be blamed for the Flying Eagles unimpressive showing at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt.
Lulu, who stated this in a chat with sports reporters in Abuja, said rather than blame the football ruling body for the woeful performance of the intermediate team in Egypt, Siasia who promised to win the World Cup should be the one to explain to Nigerians what went wrong at the World Cup.
According to Lulu, Siasia and his team were given all that they needed to perform well in Egypt and win the tournament, and that he was even surprised that they could not fly beyond the second round of the global soccer fiesta.
He explained that the target given to Siasia when he took the job was to deliver the World Cup trophy, and for him to fail to win the trophy means he has failed in his responsibility.
"I don't give out a job like that whether it is a one day job, you must give me assurance that you are going to deliver and that was what Siasia did when he took the appointment.
"The NFF has given the team and the coaches enabling environment to perform, so, for people to now start blaming the association is not fair, but all these are the works of the press and some detractors", Lulu stated.
Lulu, who said he has done his best to improve the fortunes of the nation's football, says he weeps everyday because of the poor results being returned by Nigerian national football teams at international competitions.
"I have done my best for this country and I am happy with what I have done so far and that is why I weep every day because the results refuse to come", Lulu added.
To this end, Lulu revealed that the ongoing restructuring in the nation's football, particularly in the coaching section will continue until positive results start rolling in.
Add comment
Name (required)
E-mail (required)
Website
Title (required)
Notify me of follow-up comments
Refresh
Send
Cancel
JComments
Comments 1 to 3 of 3 Post a comment
Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdullahi,
I'm ashamed of you and you do not cease to amaze me. I cannot believe that you can still say the coach Samson Siasia failed.
For all I care, I still rate, Siasia very high, even in the face of defeat. The boys he paraded were a class act (though, can be argued). They played one of the sweetest football of the tournament. The only challenge the team faced was the inability of the strikers to take the chances that came their way.
I am really not here to point fingers, but I am pleading with the NFF to leave Siasia and the boys till 2012 (Olympics) and 2014 (World cup). Those boys might have failed to get past the knockout stage, but the whole world believe that they are the future of NIGERIA. They are all better than the present crop of players we have in the SUPER EAGLES TODAY.
Players like RABIU IBRAHIM (the new JAY JAY), HARUNA LUKMAN, ODION IGHALO, NURUDEEN ORELESI, IBOK EDET, OBIORA NWAKWO, STANLEY ONWUHACHI, GBOLAHAN SALAMI, KING OSANGA amongst others should be properly tutored and other good ones such as KINGSLEY UDOH, MARCULAY CHRISANTHUS, GANIU OSENI, KABIRU AKINSOLA and MATHEW EDILE. These bunch of players should be built for the next world cup in 2014.
I believe Nigeria will laugh last in years to come, but we must be ready to make sacrifices. And one of the recommended sacrifice will be for Alh. Lulu and his team to leave the affairs of Nigerian football with immediate effect.
Lulu should be ashamed of himself for blaming coach samson siasia for not delivering.Is siasia a magician?Tell me how many so called foreign coaches has delivered.Do you think paying them money will make them win?Lulu is the president of the football association and he is the one to be blame.He said he has done his best for nation and own humble opinion is that he should resign with immediate effect.
Evergreen and Martez have said it all. I don't think Lulu can be considered to be a great Nigerian in the true sense of it. Please let someone tell this clown to resign and stop using excusses to stay on in order for more money to get lost from the coffers. Shame less leader.