Sports
Siasia: My mum’s kidnap almost ruined our Olympics dream
In from Nifemi Daniel . . .
U-23 Eagles coach, Samson Siasia, has revealed that the kidnapping of his mother prior to the African U-23 Nations Cup in Senegal almost derailed Nigeria’s Rio 2016 Olympics dream.
Madame Ogere Siasia, 72, who was abducted from her home in Bayelsa on November 17th was released 12 days later by her kidnappers.
Speaking with journalists on arrival in Nigeria on Monday, Siasia praised his players for their determination and resilience which he said was very instrumental to lifting the tournament.
“The kidnap of my mother took a lot out of me but I know there was nothing I can do in Senegal.
So, I decided to be focused and think about something else that could inspire me to do well with the team I have.
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“I was only hoping to qualify for the Olympics not the kidnapping of my mother because there was nothing I could do at that moment since I was not in Bayelsa,” he said.
He added that: “I was only keeping in touch with the people at home to ensure they get her out and thank God it paid off because we qualified for the Olympics, won the trophy and my mother was released.”
The former Super Eagles player however urged the Nigeria Football Federation to avoid a fire-brigade approach while calling on the National Sports Commission to ensure the team gets adequate preparation for the Rio 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
“I was only hoping to qualify for the Olympics. At least that would have been the best for me, going by our preparation; our preparation wasn’t the best.
“We had only 12 days to prepare in Gambia, coupled with other issues, while other countries had about two months or more,” he maintained.
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