After decades of lingering tension, legendary Nigerian forward Samson Siasia has finally reconciled with former Super Eagles coach Clemens Westerhof, Soccernet.ng reports.
The reunion was facilitated by Nigerian-born Dutch environmental rights activist Sunny Ofehe, which marked an end to their decades-long feud from the 1994 World Cup.
Ofehe, who is also the Executive Assistant to the Delta State Governor on External Relations & Diaspora Affairs, revealed this reconciliation via his Facebook page.
He successfully mediated between Siasia and Westerhof, as well as another former Super Eagles player, Mike Obiku, during a special event.
The feud between Siasia and Westerhof stemmed from the 1994 USA World Cup, where Siasia was controversially left out of Nigeria’s knockout round clash against Italy.
Despite starting all of Nigeria’s group-stage matches and scoring a memorable goal against Argentina, Siasia was benched throughout the crucial Italy tie.
Westerhof later explained that he dropped Siasia after a missed opportunity against Greece, a decision that Siasia resented for years.
Obiku, another key figure in Nigerian football, also had his own grievances with Westerhof.
The forward, who played a vital role in Nigeria’s 1988 Seoul Olympics campaign, was dropped from the national squad in 1989, despite his success at Feyenoord.
Their reunion, facilitated by Ofehe, was the first time the trio had met in 35 years.
The gathering, held at the birthday celebration of Obiku’s wife, saw the football greats share laughter, stories, and memories.
It was a fitting end to a long-standing conflict that had lasted for decades.
Westerhof, who led Nigeria to their first-ever World Cup appearance in 1994, is regarded as one of the most successful Super Eagles coaches, having also guided the team to lift the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations.
Siasia has since had a successful coaching career, leading Nigeria to the Under-20 World Cup final and earning an Olympic silver medal in 2008.
