Former Super Eagles striker, Samson Siasia, has revealed why he was dropped from the national team during his playing days, according to a report by Daily Post on Wednesday, September 24, 2025.
He said it happened because he refused to pass the ball to his teammate, Rashidi Yekini.
Siasia described the experience as one of the most painful moments of his football career.
He explained that the incident occurred during a 1994 World Cup qualifier against Ivory Coast in Abidjan.
According to him, he chose to take a shot instead of passing to Yekini, who was better positioned.
The then national team coach, Clemens Westerhof, saw his action as selfish and removed him from the squad.
He said sometimes passes lead to goals, and sometimes they do not.
He recalled that even when he created chances for Yekini, the striker also missed opportunities.
The former coach of the Super Eagles said his temporary exit from the team taught him resilience.
He added that the challenges he faced only made him stronger as a player and later as a coach.
“My downtimes? First was when I didn’t pass the ball to Rashidi Yekini and they had to kick me out of the team and I had to hustle myself back into the team. Trying times are always there to make you stronger.
A lot of people talked about why I didn’t pass the ball to Rashidi Yekini but the one I passed to him he couldn’t even score too, so things happen, we don’t take it personal,” he said. See, More, Here>>>>
