Eagles’ camp bubbles as Siasia takes charge

By Tunde Eludini January 10, 2011 04:23AM

Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia, is expected to handle his first training session as Eagles’ boss as he takes charge of the team’s activities at the National Stadium, Abuja later today.

The Beijing Olympic silver winning coach had called up 30 players from the Nigeria Premier League in preparation for the United States President’s Day Celebration Soccer Invitational Tournament, the Green Soccer Bowl. The tournament takes place between February 12 and February 20, 2011, and will feature eight teams from around the world. The other teams are Egypt, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kenya Bahrain, Iraq, Poland and Malaysia.

The competition in honour of United States President, Barack Obama will take place at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, venue of Nigeria’s first-ever FIFA World Cup finals match, which ended in a 3-0 victory for the Eagles’ against first round opponents, Bulgaria in June 1994.

Siasia flew into the country last night to settle down to work after celebrating the yuletide period with his family in the United States while also having a stopover in London where he met with some of the Super Eagles players.

Helping hands

Assistant coach, Simon Kalika also arrived from the Netherland yesterday and will be on hand to help Siasia alongside the newly appointed duo of second assistant coach, Salisu Yusuf and goalkeeping coach, Ike Shorounmu.

While players were actually expected to report to camp on Monday, three players of Premier League side Warri Wolves got to Abuja on Sunday, 24 hours ahead of schedule. They immediately joined other technical crew members including goalkeepers’ trainer Shorounmu.

The Super Eagles will play the national teams of Iraq, Malaysia and Poland in Group A of the tournament in the USA next month, and on February 9, the Eagles are expected to play an international friendly game with a yet to be named opponent.

Though Siasia has promised to take the invitational tournament serious, his first competitive assignment will come up on March 27 when Nigeria hosts Ethiopia in a 2012 Nations Cup qualifier.

The Eagles are currently behind Guinea in the group standings and only the top finishers are guaranteed a place in the Nations Cup to be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in 2012.