How Siasia muddled case against Osaze

Most football analysts have applauded the move which they say is aimed at checking the excesses of Super Eagles players but many others have equally faulted the manner in which the coach went about the business. Those who faulted Siasia’s action said he did not take a personal decision and that is not the mark […]

Most football analysts have applauded the move which they say is aimed at checking the excesses of Super Eagles players but many others have equally faulted the manner in which the coach went about the business.

Those who faulted Siasia’s action said he did not take a personal decision and that is not the mark of an independent minded leader. Such critics have picked holes in his confession that his action was instigated by Osaze’s team mates.

“The other players in the team had threatened to stage a mass protest and back out in other matches if I failed to sanction Osaze for leaving the camp in Abuja without taking permission from me and travelling back to England to join his club shortly after Ethiopia’s Nations Cup qualifier and did not wait for the Kenya friendly.

“Some of them confessed to me that they are watching with keen interest to see if I will discipline him or not. So, I had no option than to do this to instill discipline in the team”, said Siasia.

It is therefore said for the coach to prove that he is in control; he shouldn’t have publicly acknowledged the role which Osaze’s team mates played in his suspension. According to them, the backlash would be too much for the coach to handle.

There is the general concern that the relationship between the suspended player and his team mates, especially the senior ones is bound to further deteriorate. If at all there was a cold war between them, the situation would become even worse.

Furthermore, the coach himself confessed that since the player left camp without permission, they have neither seen nor communicated. The argument in most quarters is that if it was not a premeditated action, the coach would have exercise patience until he hears the player’s own side of the story.

In addition, those who feel the decision is hasty and harsh wondered why the coach denied earlier reports in the media that the player would be banned for two matches. For this reason, it is said the coach is yet to say exactly what prompted his action against one of Nigeria’s most committed football players.

Consequently, Coach Siasia may have achieved a point by sidelining Oszae for the two matches at hand but he inadvertently shot himself in the foot by his failure to apply the wisdom required when dealing with disciplinary issues.