Nigeria fires coach for failing to reach 2012 CAN
By Peterking Quaye, Lead sports Journalist – Another career stoppage has hit one of Nigeria’s finest soccer coaches Samson Siasia. From the information monitored by Shout-Africa, indicates that the executive committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) ratified the decision to sack the coach on Friday.
The coach was sacked purposely for failing to take the country to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. This comes after the NFF’s technical committee recommended the dismissal of the former international. Siasia came under huge pressure after the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the continent’s flagship tournament.
The 44-year-old Siasia was a popular choice after he guided Nigeria to the final of the 2005 Fifa Under-20 World Cup in the Netherlands and then the final of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Three weeks ago the Super Eagles had failed to qualify for a Nations Cup finals for the first time since the 1986 edition in Egypt.
However, he fell out of favour after his team could only draw 2-2 with Guinea in Abuja earlier this month in a match Nigeria needed to win to stand a chance of qualifying for the Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Local media have speculated that former Nigeria skipper Stephen Keshi will take over the team in an interim capacity for six months. Nigeria will not be at this CAN 2012 which for many soccer pundits see it as one with the favourites missing in action and see Ghana as a favourite.
