Former Nigeria head coach, Samson Siasia has hinted at a possible return to the Super Eagles.
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Siasia was sacked by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in 2011 following his failure to qualify the Super Eagles for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea but the former international appears to have set his sights on a return as coach of the reigning African champions.
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Responding to speculations linking him with the vacant Nigeria Under-23 job, Siasia said he would accept the offer which he sees as a spring board to a return to the senior side.
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"If the offer to coach the under-23s is right, I will accept it. One reason I will go back is to build a team for the future. Some Super Eagles players are usually very difficult to work with. However, if you are with these players for like four years, these players will play for you when they graduate to the Super Eagles," Siasia said.
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The former Nantes striker then praised current Nigeria coach, Stephen Keshi for his success with the Super Eagles at the 2013 Afcon but stated that Keshi would have come up short if the players had not rallied around him.
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"Keshi is a very good coach; no doubt but at the Afcon, he had players who played for him... trustworthy players who will die for you as a coach when they put on the national colours.
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"Those were the players I had at the Under-20 African Youth Championships (AYC) and the Under-20 World Championships in 2005. These players moved up with me to the under-23s and we were just unfortunate not to win Olympic gold in 2008.
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"That's the only thing that can bring me back because if I can be there for the next four years, I know I can have a great team for the World Cup," he noted.
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Siasia then spoke about his relationship with the present board of the NFF insisting that he would have no problems working with the football chiefs despite the acrimonious nature of his sacking two years ago.
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"Sometimes in life, you just have to forget about the past and move on. Initially, I said I was never going to have anything to do with the present NFF but I have taken stock of everything and I have moved on.
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"I hold no grudge against anyone because if I am happy with you, then I am also angry with myself. I will do anything for my country," he said.
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He played 51 international matches for Nigeria, in which he scored 16 goals, and was part of the team that participated in the 1994 FIFA World Cup and won the 1994 Afcon.
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Siasia was also a member of the Nigerian team that won bronze at 1992 Afcon in Senegal. He participated in the national team over a period of 11 years and was recognised in Nigeria as the third leading scorer.
I do not think NFF or Nigerians would allow that to happen. Samson Siasia has left the Eagles job for good.