NFA warns Siasia against complacency - Beijing Olympics

28.04.2008

UtakaDeputy secretary-general, technical of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Emmanuel Ikpeme, has warned the chief coach of the Dream Team IV, Samson Siasia, to take all the group opponents in the forthcoming Beijing Olympics seriously.

Ikpeme pointed out that the group which also has USA, Japan and Holland should not be taken for a weak group, stressing that every team deserved respect.

“It would be wrong for anybody to write off teams who are drawn in the same group with our team. Most often in football, it is those teams that you think are weak that turn out to be spoilers.

“We should also note that USA and Holland have good traditions in youth football, while Japan is growing very fast and could also be a threat in China.

“In fact, the Japanese could be a big threat, since they will be playing in China, which is not far from their country and they could have a very strong backing in terms of support,” he said.