MTNFootball.com
Newly signed Leicester striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has so far ignored calls from Nigeria coach Samson Siasia.
Siasia disclosed to MTNFootball.com he has tried to reach out to the World Cup striker, but he has so far not been successful.
“While other players like (Nwankwo) Kanu and (John) Utaka picked my calls, I called Aiyegbeni, but he didn’t reply. I even left him a voice mail on his phone to call me but he didn’t call back,” Siasia said.
However, the Nigeria coach said he has not shut out Aiyegbeni from his long-term plans.
“That is a big lie (to suggest Yak not in his plans). I called Kanu, I called (John) Utaka. So, why would I say that I don’t want any player in my team? As long as such a player is doing well at his club, he has a chance in the team,” he stated.
“We are rebuilding and I have not come out to say I am not going to use any player for now. We are restructuring now, so some players won’t be invited this time around, but may be part of us in the next game. So, everybody is welcome in this rebuilding process.”
The Yak has been the target of the boo-boys after a poor World Cup in South Africa, where he was involved in arguably the biggest miss of the entire tournament when he failed to put away a chance from four yards out in a make-or-bust group game against South Korea.
Critics will have more ammunition in their arsenal against the big striker after he was forced this week to go on loan to English Championship side Leicester because of limited playing time at Everton in the Premier League.
Siasia told MTNFootball.com he will rate his recent tour of Europe to meet up with some of the country’s stars very high even though he could only make a brief stop-over in England because poor weather had earlier forced him to rearrange his travel plans.
“It wasn’t a bad trip at all. It was good and I can rate it 90 per cent success. Hopefully, Emmanuel Emenike, Shola Ameobi and Victor Moses will add to our new-look Super Eagles and contribute properly and also bring the kind of change we want in our play and our attitude towards the team,” he revealed.
In Turkey, he met up with skipper Joseph Yobo, before he went on to convince Karabukspor striker Emenike to put behind his past experience with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and play for Nigeria.
“Emenike told us why he didn’t want to play for us before because of the International Transfer Certificate that they (NFF) were supposed to send to him when he was playing in South Africa. He said they didn’t do that until he had to go through FIFA and wait until after three months to get his international clearance,” Siasia said.
In England, he met with Shola Ameobi, who confirmed his readiness to feature for the Eagles, as well as Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi and Obinna Nsofor of West Ham. He also phoned Danny Shittu (Millwall), Osaze Odemwingie (West Bromwich Albion) and Dickson Etuhu (Fulham).
Siasia also informed MTNFootball.com that he has already met up with Wigan Athletic right winger Victor Moses, who has equally agreed to play for Nigeria.
His discussions with Nedum Onuoha did not go very well after the Sunderland defender told him he should not be considered for the Eagles’ next game.
“I met Victor Moses and his agent. He said the last Super Eagles coach (Lars Lagerback) promised to invite him and until I came to see him, nobody actually called and he didn’t know what was going on,” the coach disclosed.
“I told them I am the new Sheriff in town and right now, we are rebuilding. I then asked Moses, ‘are you interested?’ He replied me that if he is not interested, he won’t be there to see me. I told him to trust me he will be in my team, if he keeps playing well for his club.”
Siasia said he plans another trip to Europe so as to talk up more Nigerian players soon.
“For the next trip, we would be talking to the other players on how important it is to be very committed. We want everybody to be 110 per cent serious in the team and to collectively rebuild a new Super Eagles. We want to go back and start playing well and to make Nigeria proud,” he told MTNFootball.com
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