Waidi Akanni blasts NFF on bribery allegation against Siasia

Former Super Eagles defensive midfielder, Waidi Akanni, has described the bribery allegation levelled against the Chief Coach of the Under-23 Olympic team, Samson Siasia, by an unnamed Nigeria Football Federation board member, as lacking in substance.
Akanni, who described the allegation as “arrant nonsense” said it should be confined to the dustbin.
The ex-Super Eagles defender argued that the football authority should have gone ahead to back up its claims with evidence, noting that such spurious allegation could not hold water because it had not been substantiated.
The former U-20 star observed that blaming Siasia for the failure of the Super Eagles to qualify for the next Nations Cup was not only laughable but ridiculous.
“We all knew how Siasia came into the picture when coach Sunday Oliseh abandoned the team some few weeks to the crucial match against Egypt. I ask, who among Nigerian players that was supposed to be in the game was not there? This is a poser for the NFF. Siasia only came to salvage the ugly situation. Then why would they turn around and be blame him?” he asked.
He explained further that the gaffer wanted to assemble the best crop of Nigerian players for the Rio Olympic Games but some of those he invited were not released by their various clubs, adding that he had no option than to use the players available.
“So, how will somebody turn around and be pointing accusing fingers at the man who went out of his way to bring honour to this nation? I challenge the NFF to come out with their proof.
“Let me tell you no coach worth his salt would overlook a quality player and field a mediocre in a match; such a coach will have himself to blame at the end of the day.
“I remember in Holland during the U-20 FIFA World Cup, a football agent offered Siasia money to use his player, the coach rejected the offer and still benched the player in question. I know what Siasia can do. You see, the NFF is only saying this to gag the coach so that he will not talk again as they are owing some arrears of salaries. But I think this is not the best way to go about it”, he said.
Siasia had incurred the wrath of the football authorities for exposing the inadequacies of his employers to the press after the Olympics Games in Brazil.