Why I was kicked out of Super Eagles squad — Samson Siasia

Former Super Eagles star, Samson Siasia, has opened up about one of the most challenging moments of his career: being dropped from the national team.

He revealed that his temporary exclusion was due to a single, pivotal moment during a 1994 World Cup qualifier against Ivory Coast.

Siasia, a member of the Super Eagles’ “golden generation” that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations, explained that the incident occurred in Abidjan, where he chose to shoot instead of passing the ball to a better-positioned Rashidi Yekini. The then-head coach, Clemens Westerhof, viewed the action as selfish and dropped him from the squad.

Speaking to Emmanuel Babayaro on UTVAfrica, Siasia defended his decision, drawing on the competitive nature of strikers.

“I am a striker. Rashidi Yekini won’t give me that ball if it were him, that’s the truth,” Siasia said. While he defended his choice, he also paid tribute to the late striker.

“Sometimes you miss, sometimes you score. Rashidi has been one of the greatest strikers I have ever played with. May his soul rest in peace.”

Reflecting on the experience, Siasia acknowledged the public outcry but stood by his actions.

“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.”