Head Coach of Nigeria's Olympics Team, Samson Siasia has affirmed that no player is
guaranteed a shirt in his squad for the men’s football tournament of this
year’s Olyimpics, taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The former Super Eagles’ manager has also disclosed
that the African champions will commence preparations for the Rio Olympics in
the first week of February.
Speaking from his base in the United States of
America, where he is presently on vacation, Siasia 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.
"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."
Siasia, who also led the U-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 utilize all the FIFA windows available to him
and his technical crew in seeing players at close range.
"For now my plans are to utilize 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 clubsides. "
The former Super Eagles’ captain added that for now,
he has not made up his mind on the issue of which over -aged player(s) to take
to the Olympics.
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