LAGOS,Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Former Super Eagles of Nigeria head coach, Samson Siasia has opened up about the alleged mistreatment of Nigerian coaches by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Siasia, a former national team captain who has coached various national team levels, expressed his concerns regarding the treatment of local coaches by the NFF.
The 56-year-old, who led Nigeria to victory in the African Youth Championship in 2005 and achieved a second-place finish at the under-20 World Cup in the Netherlands the same year, has an impressive coaching record.
Additionally, he won Olympic silver and bronze medals while in charge of the Under-23 team in 2008 and 2016, respectively.
Despite his achievements, Siasia was banned from football activities due to alleged involvement in match-fixing issues. However, his ban is set to expire later this month.
While the NFF is currently searching for a new coach for the Super Eagles, Siasia, alongside former international Emmanuel Babayaro and journalist Matthew Edafe, participated in a podcast on Saturday.
READ ALSO: FIFA Orders NFF To Pay Ex-Super Eagles Coach Gernot Rohr N156m Within 45 Days
During the podcast, Siasia expressed his disappointment with the NFF’s treatment of local coaches. He highlighted two key issues: the limited time given to local coaches to prepare for tournaments and the disparity in payment between local coaches and their foreign counterparts.
He said, “They didn’t give me Super Eagles from the beginning and give me four years.
“They didn’t give Nigeria people four years, you lose one match, they fire you. That’s the truth. The white people will come, you give them more time, you pay them more money.”
Samson Siasia continued, “And we (local coaches), they won’t send us anywhere and they want us to be better.
“They will pay the white man $50,000 monthly, and pay local hires one million naira. From the on million naira, the coaching staff will also take you inside, and you also have to feed your family.”
Siasia who has coached almost all the levels of football in Nigeria said the only side which is relatively easier to coach is the senior national team.
The Bayelsa state-born tactician noted that coaches in the under-age levels mostly have to use their star power to get some things sorted on behalf of the NFF.
READ ALSO: Ian Wright Calls For NFF To Pay Super Falcons’ Match Bonuses
“Trust me the easiest team to coach (in Nigeria) is the Super Eagles because they will give you everything that you need,” Siasia said.
“But U-20, U-23 and the U-16 are even worse because you won’t see food to eat. The U-20 is a big problem because if you don’t know people who can help you, you are in trouble. After all, the truth is if you don’t start on time there is no way you can qualify for a tournament.
“All those times that I qualified for tournaments are not a joke, I know people that own hotels. I will go to them and beg them to allow us to lodge and that we will pay later. They will give you a job one month to play a game and you want to screen players and select the best. How do you do that?”
He continued, “We have to go and look for accommodation because they will put us in Goal Project where there is nothing. Do you know how these people (NFF) deal with the national team coaches? That is why most of them cannot qualify because if you don’t have a name you cannot go to the hotel owners to keep rooms for you for free.
“I qualified the country for the Olympics twice, how many other coaches have been able to do that?”