By Olawale Ajimotokan



A new twist has been added to the Samson Siasia saga after the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) asked the embattled Super Eagles coach to accept a substantial pay cut, among other conditions, if he wanted to keep his job.


Siasia’s future has been in the balance since he failed to guide Nigeria to next year’s African Cup of Nations finals in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon as specified in his contract.


Despite a waning public trust, the coach is particularly keen to retain his job and be given a second chance even when the odds are stacked against him.


The NFF Technical Committee has asked for the employment of a foreign coach.


Siasia met with NFF chairman, Alhaji Amimu Maigari on Tuesday to iron out his circumstances and re-assure the federation that he is the right man to take charge of Nigeria’s 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign which begins in June next year.


Though the NFF board is yet to convene to consider the committee reports, we learnt Thursday night, that the federation intends to draw up a new contact that will bind all the parties, more so that Siasia has failed to fulfil a benchmark clause in the current contract which bound him to take the Eagles to the semi final of the Nations Cup.


It is in view of the legal implications that may arise from the federation offering Siasia a new deal when the current contract is still subsisting that has prompted the federation to pressure the coach to put in his resignation letter.


On Wednesday, Maigari paid a visit to the House of Representatives Committee on Sports, led by Hon Godfrey Gaiya, to update the members on the national team issues as well as to shore up support for the board if it eventually decides to sack the Eagles coach and opt for a foreign coach.


Some of the key conditions the NFF has been trying to force on Siasia is to accept a new monthly salary of N3million as against his current take home package of N5 million.


The future of Siasia’s Dutch assistant, Simon Kalika is also under discussion as NFF has made it clear it intended to dispense with his services as he is now considered surplus to requirement.


Kalika, who joined the back up staff last December, is regarded as the Eagles match strategist in the light of his ability to read matches and dissect the opposition.


He has been Siasia’s confidant since both of them first came into contact in 2005 during the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Holland.


The coach, who is of Surinamese descent, is next to Siasia in the ranking order and is on N3million monthly salary.


The federation is also toying with the idea of limiting Siasia’s free hand in all matters bothering on his programme which is now to be scrutinized and vetted by the technical committee before final approval.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/eagles-job-nff-offers-siasia-pay-cut/100987/

It seems he deserved it.

I knew this was going to be his punishment for failing to qualify. If Siasia really want to do the job, he should accept the pay cut and move on with the job. We all have to pay for our mistakes one way or the other

If I were him, I will rush and accept this.