Former Nigerian footballer Samson Siasia has shared the story of one of the toughest moments in his career — when he was dropped from the Super Eagles for not passing the ball to fellow striker Rashidi Yekini.
Speaking in an interview with Emmanuel Babayaro on UTVAfrica, Siasia explained that during a 1994 World Cup qualifier against Ivory Coast in Abidjan, he chose to shoot rather than pass to Yekini, who was in a better position.
This decision upset the then-coach Clemens Westerhof, who saw it as selfish play and dropped Siasia from the national team.
Siasia defended his actions, saying, “I am a striker. If it was Yekini in my position, he wouldn’t have passed the ball to me either. Sometimes you score, sometimes you don’t.”
Siasia admitted that Yekini was one of the best strikers he ever played with and wished him peace, as the legendary forward passed away in 2012.
He continued, “The first real low point in my career was when I was kicked out of the team for not passing to Yekini. But I worked hard and fought my way back.”
He also said that he had passed the ball to Yekini before in other matches, but the striker didn’t always score either. “Things happen. We don’t take it personally,” Siasia said.
Siasia was part of Nigeria’s golden generation and helped the Super Eagles win the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations.
