Sleeping defenders and strikers the cause of our defeat - U23 Coach Samson Siasia

In the wake of his teams disappointing defeat to Burkina Faso in the ongoing All Africa Games(AAG) in Brazzaville, Congo. The coach of the National U23 football team, Sampson Siasia, has expressed his surprise and disappointment at his teams abysmal display on Tuesday, which saw Burkina Faso emerging winners, with a comfortable 1-3 win over their Nigerian counterparts.

Siasia, who was left fuming at his defenders and strikers, said he didn't believe that his team would be defeated by Burkina Faso, let alone by such a high goal margin.

  “I never imagined losing to Burkina Faso, but then my midfielders played so well, my defenders and attackers let me down, can you imagine my attackers not being able to convert about eight chances that came their way?  “To make matters worse, the defenders were asleep on a day they should have been up and doing. Who told the central defenders to keep offside trap the way they did? I am totally disappointed; we can’t play like this in Senegal and expect to qualify for the 2016 Olympics.

No way!   “We were so bad that anytime the ball beat the defenders, even my goalkeeper could not stop any of the shots fired at him. Football is a team work where errors are bound to occur, but it’s the ability of fellow team mates to cover for one another that makes a team great, that I didn’t see today.”

Siasia, said he was happy that the worst, had happened in the Africa Games, that he had learnt a valuable lesson from his mistakes. He also apologised to Nigerians for letting them down by not qualifying for the final of the Men's football event at the AAG.

He said “We will make corrections after the African Games. I plan to travel to talk to some players I have already penciled down, then hopefully, the team should be assembling in first week of October to prepare for the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations. Certainly, some of the players I brought to Congo Brazzaville will have to give way.

, “I am not a man of excuses. I take all the blame for this collapse and will certainly make amends before the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations.”