Former Super Eagles forward and coach, Samson Siasia, has revealed the reason behind his temporary removal from the national team during his playing days.
According to Siasia, the decision came after he refused to pass the ball to legendary striker Rashidi Yekini during a 1994 World Cup qualifier against Ivory Coast in Abidjan.
Reflecting on the incident in an interview with Emmanuel Babayaro on UTVAfrica, the 1994 AFCON winner said:
“I am a striker. Rashidi Yekini won’t give me that ball if it was him, that’s the truth. Sometimes you miss, sometimes you score. Rashidi has been one of the greatest strikers ever I have played with. May his soul rest in peace.”
Siasia explained that then Super Eagles coach, Clemens Westerhof, considered his decision a selfish move and dropped him from the squad as punishment.
He admitted it was one of the lowest points of his career but also a moment that shaped him:
“My downtimes? First was when I didn’t pass the ball to Rashidi Yekini and they had to kick me out of the team and I had to hustle myself back into the team. Trying times are always there to make you stronger.”
The former striker, however, defended his choice, insisting that Yekini had earlier missed chances he created:
“A lot of people talked about why I didn’t pass the ball to Rashidi Yekini. The one I passed to him he couldn’t even score too, so things happen, we don’t take it personal.”
