The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has assured embattled former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia, of his mother’s return from kidnappers’ den.
The Minister, who joined President Muhammadu Buhari’s entourage to the United Nations General Assembly in the United States of America, stated this on Wednesday.
Dare, via his Twitter handle, wrote: “I just arrived New York and noted conversations around Siasia (Samson). I recall he came to visit me but I was unavailable. I subsequently sent a sorry note to which he responded. The relevant agencies are at work. We hope they yield results as they have on many previous occasions.
“Our prayers are with Siasia and his family over these developments. Siasia served the country well. A football veteran no doubt.”
Ogere Siasia, 76, and two others have been held captive since they were seized in Bayelsa, southern Nigeria 10 weeks ago.
A former international, Siasia won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria and played in their maiden World Cup appearance later that same year.
As a coach he led his country’s under-20 and under-23 sides to continental success in 2005 and 2015 respectively.
He also guided the U20s to a runners-up finish at the 2005 World Youth Championships (as it was known at the time) in the Netherlands.
Siasia is the most decorated African football coach at the Olympics, winning silver at the Beijing Games in 2008 and bronze at the 2016 Games in Rio.
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