Coach Samson Siasia has warned any of the players from the domestic league called up for a training camp for the Rio Olympics has till Monday to report or else stay away.
Speaking after the team’s training session at the practice pitch of the Abuja National Stadium, Siasia said he does not want to make the mistake of the past when players who had been penciled down by the coaches were not available when needed.
“I want to work with only the players on ground, and to get them to the shape I want,” Siasia reiterated.
The team are billed to feature in the invitational Toulon Football Festival in France next month as part of their preparations for the Rio Olympics.
On the issue of other teams in Nigeria’s Group B already announcing plans to include very experienced over-aged players, the U-23 gaffer said the technical crew and the players are not scared of any individual player, but would rather bother about the quality of opposition at the Olympics’ football event.
“Yes, I have read of plans by Sweden to include someone like Zlatan Ibramovich as one of their over –aged players for the Games. Good for them, but as far as we are concerned, there is nothing like fear. For us, we are trying to put up a team, and that will determine which players we are going to bring. We have played against players of stronger calibre than Zlatan. We have played against Lionel Messi and Di Maria and others.
“We would rather think of the fact that they have a strong team that will play against us, and not individual players. I don’t want to jump around and start mentioning names, and later if those players are not available, we would be disappointed. So, I have to be sure of what I am doing and when that time comes we will release the names.”
