BY JOE APU
DREAM Team handler, Samson Siasia is fast growing gray hairs over the availability of his key players for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games as he has expressed fears that European clubs may scuttle his plans of winning gold for Nigeria.
Siasia’s fears were coming a few days after Arsenal of England striker, Alex Iwobi declared his interest in representing Nigeria at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Siasia noted that going by the schedule of the European leagues, which commences in August, clubs may well become a stumbling block to the release of players he was hoping to help him prosecute the Olympics.
Aside from Iwobi, Siasia had been toying with the idea of having the likes of Watford striker, Odion Ighalo, Manchester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho, Wolfburg’s Victor Osihmen among others.
“August is when clubs in Europe would commence their leagues and experience has shown over the years that clubs in Europe are always very adamant to release players for Olympics competition.
“So if there is no pressure and mutual understanding between these clubs and the Nigeria Football Federation we may be deprived of our best legs in the Olympics.
“That is the reason why I want us to start our preparations now so that we can assemble a better and stronger team than the one that won the Africa U23 championship in Senegal.
“We can’t rely solely on the foreign based players because they might disappoint us if their clubs fail to release them.”
Meanwhile, Siasia had requested that the team should commence preparations next week Monday in the Federal Capital Territory.
The Dream Team reached the competition having won the 2015 African U23 Championship staged in Senegal, which served as qualifiers.
