Samson Siasia

Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia has warned only players who are ambitious, driven and hungry for success will get roles in the national team.

Speaking on SuperSport on Tuesday, the former France-based striker, who put pen to paper for a N5m-a-month two-year deal with the Nigeria Football Federation on December 1, maintained that lackadaisical and half-hearted efforts in matches would not be tolerated.

According to Siasia, who represented Nigeria in three Nations Cups and one World Cup (USA‘94), every player should brace for hard work on the field and play to his instructions.

”If a player is asked to help in defending and fails to do so, we‘ll look for another player who will do that,” the former Lokeren player said.

”It‘s important to have every player fully involved in all aspects of a game. ”

He warned there won‘t be any drastic changes in the squad, saying it would be gradual.

”Changes will take time, they can‘t happen at the same time and they will have to be gradual. The fans will therefore have to be patient with us,” he said.

He firmly shut the door on players who are warming the benches for their colleagues in Europe, saying only those commanding regular playing times would merit places in his squad.

Siasia said, ”There‘s no place in the world where players who don‘t play regularly for their clubs play for their national teams.”

The Senegal‘92 Nations Cup bronze medallist said he would travel to Europe to convince the likes of Victor Moses, Kelvin Etuhu, Sidney Sam, Leon Balogun, Chucks Aneke and Nedum Onuoha to commit their international futures to Nigeria