Former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia has included many of his former international teammates in his selection of Nigeria's all-time best eleven, Soccernet.ng reports.
In a chat with Edafe Matthew, Siasia picked Nigeria's most capped goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, who won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013, in goal ahead of 1994 AFCON hero Peter Rufai.
Ben Iroha gets the nod at left-back, while Augustine Eguavoen is Siasia's favourite at right-back.
While the Super Eagles boast a long list of excellent centre-backs in history, including Joseph Yobo and Stephen Keshi, Siasia, however, prefers former AC Milan Taribo West and Uche Okechukwu at the heart of the defence.
Siasia went for a midfield trio of Mutiu Adepoju, Sunday Oliseh, and Austin Okocha, insisting he intentionally left out Chelsea icon John Obi Mikel.
Super Eagles coaching hopefuls Emmanuel Amunike and George Finidi are Siasia's preferred options on the left flank and right-wing, respectively.
Nigeria's greatest goalscorer of all time and 1994 AFCON winner, Rashidi Yekini, takes the single centre-forward position in Siasia's favourite 4-3-3 formation. There is no room for Arsenal great Nwankwo Kanu and former Portsmouth ace Yakubu Aiyegbeni.
Siasia has never hidden his affection for ex-international Chinedu Obasi Ogbuke, naming the former Schake 04 striker the most gifted player he ever coached.
However, Siasia reveals he did not include Ogbuke in his best eleven roster because the former TSG 1899 Hoffenheim attacker did not play for Nigeria at the World Cup.
Obasi played for Nigeria at the 2010 world cup
You journalists always cause disaffection among people. I listened to the interview and there was no where in the interview that Samson Siasia picked Nigeria’s most capped goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, in goal ahead of 1994 AFCON hero Peter Rufai. He selected Dodo Mayana ahead of Vincent. Please stop misleading people….
That’s not true. The video is on YouTube.
He did pick Vincent Enyeama and not Peter Rufai. You claimed to have watched the video, I doubt or you skipped that part of the video.
any Nigeria all time 11 that excludes kanu and mikel is simply baised
Because you are a flat head nyamiri
What position will KANU occupy in a 4-3-3 formation??
Mikel OBI doesn’t even come close to MIDA LAWAL in that DM role
Enyeama in goal
Ordiah – rb ; Taribo and yobo- cb
Iroha – lb
Oliseh- dmf okocha cmf
Kanu -amf
Finidi- rw ; amunike- lw
Striker- osimhen( martins)
Siasia mostly picked players he played with during his days and that’s understandable. It’s just his opinion and nothing else.