Tread Softly, Ex-International, Kingsley Onye, Counsels Siasia

Femi Solaja

Former team-mate of Samson Siasia in the Flying Eagles, Kingsley Onye, has advised him to maintain a quiet disposition in the aftermath of the latest ruling in his appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).

Siasia, a former Super Eagles striker and later coach of both the Under 23 as well as the national team has had his initial life ban by FIFA reversed to a five-year ban but has made public utterances accusing sports administrators and close friends of neglecting him.

In the aftermath, the Nigerian sports ministry came out outlining behind-the-scenes assistance it offered to raise funds for the embattled former coach to appeal at CAS.

Onye, based in the UK advised Siasia to keep mute as public statements on the issue are more injurious than serving him any good.

Both Siasia and Onye were members of the 1985 set of the Flying Eagles that placed third in the U-20 World Cup held in the former Soviet Union.

They have been friends since. Onye, who is better known as ‘Mature’ regarded Siasia as the best football material to have come from Nigeria, having played for and coached Nigerian teams at both youth and senior levels.

“That he was part of the Nigerian Flying Eagles that won bronze in the U20 World Cup in 1985 and also played at both the World Cup as well as the Olympics and also leading the country to an impressive podium finish at both 2008 and 2016 Olympics are worthy of commendation,” remarked Onye.

He however berated Siasia for extravagance and sometimes youthful exuberance in public statements. He pleaded with the sports ministry to let sleeping dog lie as public exchange of statements “will not do good to both Siasia and Nigerian sports in general.”

Onye noted that Siasia’s statement may have emanated from frustration which induced the anger and outburst.

He said that there should be conscious efforts to raise Siasia’s morale owing to his previous services to the nation and the fact that he could still be useful to Nigeria after the expiration of his five-year ban in 2023.

Governments should make efforts at redeeming our sportsmen’s image and attempt to sooth their pains, Onye further argued while thanking the Federal Government for still honouring the housing pledge to the 1994 class of the Super Eagles.

On that, he commended Governor Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for the three-bedroom flat given to Chioma Ajunwa who is Nigeria’s first and individual Olympic gold medallist.

“This is even more remarkable as Ajunwa is not from Lagos State,” Onye noted