Former Super Eagles striker and coach, Samson Siasia, has shared a candid story about a pivotal moment in his playing career, revealing that he was once dropped from the national team for refusing to pass the ball to legendary striker Rashidi Yekini.
In a recent interview with Emmanuel Babayaro on UTVAfrica, Siasia recalled the incident, which occurred during a crucial World Cup qualifier against the Ivory Coast in Abidjan. Siasia explained that he was a striker and felt Yekini, a fellow forward, would not have passed the ball to him in a similar situation.
“It was one of my toughest moments,” Siasia said. “Rashidi Yekini won’t give me that ball if it were him, that’s the truth… My downtimes? First was when I didn’t pass the ball to Rashidi Yekini, and they had to kick me out of the team, and I had to hustle myself back.”
He also noted that while many criticized his decision at the time, he had previously created chances that the late Yekini could not convert, emphasizing that “things happen, we don’t always score every chance.”
Beyond the anecdote from the golden generation of the 1990s, Siasia also offered his perspective on the current Super Eagles squad. He expressed the view that the team is now largely composed of Europe-born players who chose to represent Nigeria only after failing to secure spots with other national teams.
He drew a stark contrast between his era, where players developed in Nigeria before moving to Europe, and the present, where Europe-born players are being brought in. He said, “If they had a chance to play for a European country, great players, they won’t come. We struggled and made it to Europe but they were born.”
This sentiment comes at a time when the Super Eagles have several key players born in Europe, including Alex Iwobi, William Troost-Ekong, Ademola Lookman, and Ola Aina, who have become mainstays of the team.
