FORGET the Under-20 World Cup silver.
Samson’s Siasia’s biggest claim to international coaching acclaim was when news broke early this year that he was being head-hunted to replace Gary Megson as manager of English Premier League club Bolton Wanderers.
Those claims were vehemently denied, and in the end, came to nought.
But with the Olympic gold medal well within his sights, the debonair former Nigeria World Cup forward has finally stepped into the sunlight, and it may be a question of when, not if, he does one of two things; manage a European club, or a senior national team.
Siasia now stands out as one Nigerian coach to win major international honours for Nigeria. How he has managed to achieve something that no other local coach before him is a study in talent and application.
Here is how has he done it!
1. Continuity
Appointed in 2004, Siasia inherited a talented group of players groomed by Ganiyu Salami but coached to a first round exit by his former team mate Austin Eguavoen at the 2003 FIFA Under-17 World Cup.
Eguavoen’s team included the likes of Ambrose Uanzekin, Emmanuel Sarki, Ezekiel Bala, Isaac Promise, John Mikel Obi, Chinedu Ogbuke and Solomon Okoronkwo.
By the time he was ready to contest the African Youth Championships; Siasia had added some of his own players and put his own imprint on the team.
These included the likes of Daniel Akpeyi, Kennedy Chinwo, Taye Taiwo, Onyekachi Apam, Monday James, Dele Adeleye, Bernard Okorowanta, Adefemi Olubayo, Adeyinka Adedeji, Obinna Nsofor, Solomon David and the late Ifeanyi Obediah.
Mikel Obi’s transfer troubles meant he was excluded from the squad.
For the final tournament in Holland, Siasia’s team had taken shape. Mikel was brought in despite his troubles and Obinna Nsofor gave way due to transfer troubles of his own.
For the 2008 Olympic Games, Siasia has gone with 9 of the players from the 2005 squad. Add the three alternate players in Adeyinka Adedeji, Solomon David Abwo and Daniel Akpeyi, and the total rises to 12. Throw in the duo of Taye Taiwo and John Mikel Obi who would have been in the squad if Siasia had his way and the tally goes to an incredible 14 out of 18 players from 2005.
Considering that after all said and done, these players are still core members of Siasia’s team, it means he would have had FIVE players from the 20 that went to the Under-17 World Cup in 2003.
It is easy then to see how Siasia has been able to get the players to play almost telepathically for him.
As Nsofor said in an interview early in the competition, “He’s the best. Everyone understands him. All he has to do is make a gesture or a face and we know what he wants.”
Says it all, really.
2. Mutual respect with players
Such a long association with one set of players is bound to lead to one of two things; the over familiarity that breeds contempt and also sometimes ensures that a coach is too emotionally attached to players to cut under perfomers, or a bonding that leads to team cohesion and respect for the coach.
The latter has been the case with Siasia’s team.
In speaking with Kennedy Chinwo after the African Youth Championship of 2005, he gave a fascinating insight into the way Siasia operates.
“Coach will joke with you at any time and even drink with you, but when it is time for work, he doesn’t remember that you were the one eating suya with him the other day.”
Chinwo should know. He was one of Siasia’s stalwarts, but was cut from the Olympic team.
His players understand each other, and understand their coach. They know that he will pick his squad, and his team on merit.
Siasia will stay loyal to his core group of players, and will not drop them for one who is only marginally better.
But if a player can prove that he is streets ahead of one of the Siasia boys, he will win his place - on merit.
The same Chinwo was starting right back in Holland, but Olubayo came in and locked down the position. Chinwo has since dropped out to the fringes of the team. And he knows it is strictly on nothing but superior ability.
Not something one can say of the majority of Nigerian coaches.
Nsofor again captures the feeling perfectly, “He has total faith in us and we have total faith in him as he has helped us get where he are today, playing for our country and for our names.”
Nothing more needs to be said.
3. Comprehensive scouting of opponents
Preparation in Nigerian parlance is all about travelling abroad for ‘training tours’. For Siasia, it goes deeper than that. Training tours are just one small part of the whole.
He has brought in Simone Kalika, a Dutch friend of his from way back. Kalika’s job is to scout the opposition and provide comprehensive reports on the opponents.
It is something that is usually either overlooked, or given cursory attention by previous Nigerian coaches, at any level.
During his brief stay in Nigeria, Berti Vogts was livid when he asked the NFA to get someone to monitor the Niger versus Lesotho game in qualifying for the African Nations Cup.
The NFA sent James Peters, and he returned with an audio-less and CD featuring players with no names on their jerseys, and no accompanying report!
Way before that, in the Westerhof era, another coach was sent on a scouting mission. He at least came back with report.
According to Westerhof, the report read something along the lines of ‘they have very good players, they are dangerous and very fast.”
During these Olympic Games, Kalika’s competence has been put in stark relief.
Siasia has changed his tactics using Kalika’s reports as the foundation.
Against Ivory Coast for instance, Kalika identified, as part of his report, the movement and passing of the front three of Kalou with his close control, Cisse with his sneaky runs and finishing and Gervinho with his trickery as the key.
He also ID’d the susceptibility of the Ivorian defence to the quick counters and Siasia devised a strategy of patience, which allowed their West African rivals possession in non-dangerous areas, but quick closing down and patience in the final third.
With Belgium, Kalika correctly pointed out that they would play with one striker, with Dembele the danger man. That allowed Siasia to solve his problem by deploying Sani Kaita as a man-marker on the forward.
It is a partnership that worked like a charm.
4. Deep tactical awareness
All of this would be useless if, as shown above, Siasia did not have the tactical savvy to exploit the information at his disposal.
Unlike some of the dinosaurs who coach in Nigeria, Siasia does not just stick players on the pitch and ask them to ‘go there and score an early goal, that will disorganise them.’
Yes, a coach actually said that, and I will spare him the shame of naming him.
Players are given specific instructions on what to do on the pitch, where to go who to close down and what to do in certain situations.
In particular, he understands the importance of transitions, and has got his team reacting to that with speed.
Which is something else he knows how to use.
He has built a team around pace, but complemented by power and skill.
But most importantly, Siasia has brought something that is usually lacking in Nigerian, even African football, especially at youth level. Tactical discipline.
Players are given free rein to express themselves, but only within the confines of the overall tactical game plan.
So it is a team with the a combination of the free spirit of Africa, and the discipline of Europe, a kind of fettered freedom.
5. Media savvy
Like Jose Mourinho, Siasia has an in-built sixth sense of how to use the media for his own ends. Unlike his contemporaries, Siasia is available on the phone to answer questions at any time.
He will not shy away from an interview and best of all, does not give a toss about which of his bosses will be rubbed the wrong way when he says something.
It has made him the toast of the media, one of the boys so to speak.
6. His own man
Siasia will listen to, and take advice, but only if it is offered with the proviso that the final decision rests with him. When he was newly appointed I n 2004, Kashimawo Laloko, on the pretext that Siasia was a ‘young coach’ and needed ‘guidance’, attempted to crash into his camp.
He was promptly thrown out and warned as to his future conduct. That set the tone for his stewardship, and his subsequent successes, put against the failures of those who accepted ‘guidance’ speaks volumes.
And now, Siasia appears to have opened a new vista for young coaches from the so-called ‘Class of 94’.
Of course it would be foolhardy to suggest that all will enjoy the same measure of success. But the important point to note is that it is time to look to the future, and it starts with the 94 generation.
Even more importantly, the signs are there that he may be the first Nigerian coach to manage at the top level of European football.
Olympic gold will see to that.
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