Samson Siasia
Encyclopedia
Samson Siasia is a former football striker
from Nigeria
and the former head coach of the Nigerian Men National football team (The Super Eagles) from 2010 to 2011.
n club Perth Glory
with fellow Nigeria
n Peter Anosike
, as well as in Belgium
, Portugal
, Saudi Arabia
and Israel
.
, in which he scored thirteen goals, and was part of the team that participated in the 1994 FIFA World Cup
and won the 1994 African Nations Cup. He was also a member of the Nigerian team that won bronze at 1992 African Nations Cup in Senegal. He participated in the National Team over a period of 11 years and was recognized in Nigeria
as the third leading scorer for the National Team.
was named in his honor.
(Flying Eagles), taking them to the finals of both the 2005 Under-20 World Cup
and the U-20 African Youth Championship
. He won the African Youth Championship and advanced all the way to the world final – before losing to Argentina
2–1. He also assisted Augustine Eguavoen in coaching the national team.
Samson Siasia was appointed national U-23 coach on January 2007. In 2008, he coached the Nigerian Under-23 Olympic squad to the final against Argentina. In a superbly played series of matches, Nigeria's team earned the Olympic Silver Medals
. Earlier in 2008, the U-23 team won the inaugural Intercontinental Cup
in Malaysia. This fine team was composed entirely of domestic Nigerian players and won the Cup against many teams headed for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. In addition to his position as head coach of the Under 23 Olympic Eagles, he developed a youth academy in the capital city Abuja
, called SiaOne Soccer Academy. On March 17, 2009, he was reappointed as the head coach of the under-20 team after the finished a disappointing 3rd in the 2009 African Youth Championship
. He received a six-month contract to coach Heartland F.C.
in July 2010. On November 4, 2010, he was named as the national team coach to succeed Swedish Lars Lagerbäck. He was fired on October 28, 2011 for failing to take the Nigeria
team to the 2012 African Nations Cup in Gabon
& Equatorial Guinea
.
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
from Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
and the former head coach of the Nigerian Men National football team (The Super Eagles) from 2010 to 2011.
Club career
At club level, Siasia most notably played for French team FC Nantes where he became league champion in 1994/95. He also played for AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n club Perth Glory
Perth Glory FC
Perth Glory Football Club is a professional football club in Perth, Western Australia, Australia, competing in Australia's top football competition the A-League. Perth Glory is one of only three clubs to survive from the now defunct National Soccer League...
with fellow Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n Peter Anosike
Peter Anosike
Peter Ikechukwu Anosike is a football striker from Nigeria.-Football career:Anosike played club football for various clubs in Nigeria, Belgium, Australia and in Singapore....
, as well as in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
International career
He played 51 international matches for NigeriaNigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
, in which he scored thirteen goals, and was part of the team that participated in the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
and won the 1994 African Nations Cup. He was also a member of the Nigerian team that won bronze at 1992 African Nations Cup in Senegal. He participated in the National Team over a period of 11 years and was recognized in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
as the third leading scorer for the National Team.
Honours
In November 2009, the main field at the Yenagoa Township StadiumYenagoa Township Stadium
Yenagoa Township Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Yenagoa, Nigeria. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of both Ocean Boys FC and Bayelsa United. The stadium has a capacity of 5,000 people. It was rededicated in 2009 and named after former Nigeria standout...
was named in his honor.
- African Cup of NationsAfrican Cup of NationsThe Africa Cup of Nations, also referred to as the African Cup of Nations or African Nations Cup, officially CAN , is the main international association football competition in Africa. It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football , and was first held in 1957. Since 1968, it has been...
(1):- 19941994 African Cup of Nations-Group B:---------Group C:---------Group D:---------Knockout Stages:-Quarterfinals:-------------Semifinals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Scorers:5 goals Rashidi Yekini4 goals Joël Tiéhi...
- 1994
- Ligue 1Ligue 1Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
(1):- 1994–95
Coaching career
In 2005, Samson Siasia coached the under 20 teamNigeria national under-20 football team
Nigeria U-20 men's national soccer team, also known as Nigeria Under-20s or nicknamed Flying Eagles, is the youth team for national soccer in Nigeria...
(Flying Eagles), taking them to the finals of both the 2005 Under-20 World Cup
2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in The Netherlands between 10 June and 2 July 2005. The 2005 championship was the 15th contested.- Venues :- Qualification :The following 24 teams qualified for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship...
and the U-20 African Youth Championship
African Youth Championship
The African Youth Championship is the main international youth football competition for CAF nations, and is competed for by under 20 year olds...
. He won the African Youth Championship and advanced all the way to the world final – before losing to Argentina
Argentina national under-20 football team
The Argentina national under-20 football team is the representative of Argentina in FIFA sponsored tournaments that pertain to that age level....
2–1. He also assisted Augustine Eguavoen in coaching the national team.
Samson Siasia was appointed national U-23 coach on January 2007. In 2008, he coached the Nigerian Under-23 Olympic squad to the final against Argentina. In a superbly played series of matches, Nigeria's team earned the Olympic Silver Medals
Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held in Beijing and several other cities in the People's Republic of China from 6 August to 23 August. Associations affiliated with FIFA were invited to send their full women's national teams and men's U-23 teams to participate...
. Earlier in 2008, the U-23 team won the inaugural Intercontinental Cup
Inter Continental Cup
The Inter Continental Cup - Malaysia 2008 was an invitational football tournament, staged in Kuala Lumpur from May 15 to May 25 2008. The eight-nation tournament features the national Olympic teams , including the teams of Nigeria and Australia that will participate in that year's 2008 Summer...
in Malaysia. This fine team was composed entirely of domestic Nigerian players and won the Cup against many teams headed for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. In addition to his position as head coach of the Under 23 Olympic Eagles, he developed a youth academy in the capital city Abuja
Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...
, called SiaOne Soccer Academy. On March 17, 2009, he was reappointed as the head coach of the under-20 team after the finished a disappointing 3rd in the 2009 African Youth Championship
2009 African Youth Championship
The 2009 African Youth Championship is a football tournament for Under 20 players. It was held in Rwanda from the 18th of January until the 1st of February 2009....
. He received a six-month contract to coach Heartland F.C.
Heartland F.C.
Heartland F.C is a Nigerian soccer club based in Owerri. They play their home games at Dan Anyiam Stadium. With local rivals Enugu Rangers, they are one of two Nigerian teams that have never been relegated....
in July 2010. On November 4, 2010, he was named as the national team coach to succeed Swedish Lars Lagerbäck. He was fired on October 28, 2011 for failing to take the Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
team to the 2012 African Nations Cup in Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
& Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea where the capital Malabo is situated.Annobón is the southernmost island of Equatorial Guinea and is situated just south of the equator. Bioko island is the northernmost point of Equatorial Guinea. Between the two islands and to the...
.
Coaching Highlights
- Samson Siasia was the coach of the Nigerian Olympics Team(Dream Team IV), who won a silver medal for Nigeria, losing to Argentina in the finals by a lone goal.
- Qualified Nigeria U-23 team for the 2008 Summer OlympicsFootball at the 2008 Summer OlympicsFootball at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held in Beijing and several other cities in the People's Republic of China from 6 August to 23 August. Associations affiliated with FIFA were invited to send their full women's national teams and men's U-23 teams to participate...
. His team reached the final. - Nigeria's U-23 team win inaugural Intercontinental CupInter Continental CupThe Inter Continental Cup - Malaysia 2008 was an invitational football tournament, staged in Kuala Lumpur from May 15 to May 25 2008. The eight-nation tournament features the national Olympic teams , including the teams of Nigeria and Australia that will participate in that year's 2008 Summer...
in Malaysia (May 2008) - Appointed national U-23 coach of Nigeria 2007
- Led Nigeria to the U-20 World Championship finals 2005 Netherlands (finished second)
- Qualified Nigeria U-20 team for the U-20 World Youth Championship 2005
- Coached Nigeria U-20 team to win the U-20 African Youth Championship 2005 in Benin
- Appointed national U-20 coach of Nigeria 2004
- Served as assistant coach to Nigerian National football team from 2004–05
- Coached youth team in United States to Georgia state finals and national ranking 2003–04
- Hired as Heartland FC technical advisor on July 2010
- Appointed national head coach of the Nigeria national football teamNigeria national football teamThe Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
on November 4, 2010 - Led Nigeria to a 4–1 over Argentina
- Fail to qualify Nigeria for the 2012 AFCON