Siasia believes that despite the presence of Dele Bashiru, Iwobi, and Onyedika, the Super Eagles still lack a player capable of delivering decisive passes to their top strikers.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles legend and former head coach Samson Siasia has voiced concerns over the team’s lack of decisive creative midfielder like the retired Jay Jay Okocha.
Despite the presence of Lazio’s Fisayo Dele Bashiru, Raphael Onyedika, and Fulham’s Alex Iwobi in the Super Eagles squad, Siasia believes the team still lacks someone capable of delivering decisive passes to the team’s star-studded striking options.
“We don’t have an offensive midfield player that can give the last pass to the strikers. We have great strikers, but we need someone that is missing,” Siasia told Lagos Talks.
Commenting on Iwobi, who has registered 10 goals and six assists in 80 appearances for the three-time African champions, Siasia added, “Iwobi isn’t the solution for that role. He’s a good player, but not contributing enough as an offensive midfielder. We need someone in the centre who can create chances and score goals. Defensively, we’re solid, but we need someone like Jay-Jay Okocha, only with more goals.”
Meanwhile, former Super Eagles manager Clemens Westerhof has endorsed Siasia for a potential return as head coach amidst uncertainty at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
“I called him last month to wish him a happy birthday and congratulate him on the end of his five-year ban,” Westerhof told Sports Village Squared.
“He’s done it before, and I believe he can do it again.”
Siasia recently completed a five-year ban imposed by FIFA due to match-fixing allegations. The 56-year-old was initially handed a lifetime penalty, it was later reduced to five years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in 2019.
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