'They Gave So Much Problems': Oliseh Names Super Eagles Stars NFF Told Him Were Difficult to Manage
- Nigerian football legend, Sunday Oliseh, has shared some insights into happenings in the senior men's national team when he coached the side
- Legit.ng recalls that Oliseh signed a three-year deal with the Super Eagles in July 2015 and succeeded sacked Stephen Keshi (of blessed memory)
- Frosty relationships played out between Oliseh and some Super Eagles stars, with the 49-year-old now accusing some of his players of nonchalance
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering sports and football in Nigeria and worldwide.
FCT, Abuja - Former Super Eagles captain and head coach, Sunday Oliseh, has named Vincent Enyeama, John Obi Mikel, and Emmanuel Emenike as the three players the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said were problematic to the national team.
Legit.ng reports that Oliseh, 49, managed the Super Eagles for seven months - from July 2015 to February 2016, resigning due to 'the inability of the NFF to honour the terms of his contract'.
Source: Getty Images
Speaking in an interview with Elegbete TV Sports published on Tuesday, July 2, Oliseh said one of his biggest regrets as Super Eagles coach was when Emenike called to inform him of his decision to retire from the national team.
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The former Juventus and Borussia Dortmund player described Emenike as a “great and nice guy”, adding that the ex-Fenerbahce man was “totally opposite of what some people at the NFF had told me about him”.
He explained:
“When I was signed by the NFF to coach the Super Eagles, one of the things they told me was that they had not qualified (for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON) because they were having problems with certain players in the group. They said these players also gave so much problems to Stephen Keshi, and that was why Nigeria did not qualify.
“They had asked me not to invite any of these players into the Super Eagles. Now, what I told them was, I myself, as captain, I knew NFF is not easy. I said in all fairness to the players, what I would do is this, I begged the NFF, I said ‘look, let me talk to them, let me try to get them on board. Let me share my philosophy with them. And let’s see how it goes’.
“When this happened, I called the captain of the team which was Enyeama. With my assistant coach, I took my own car and went to his place.
“The three players the NFF had the most problems about, they told me it was Enyeama, John Obi Mikel, and Emmanuel Emenike.”
Oliseh unimpressed with Mikel, Enyeama
On Mikel, Oliseh accused the Chelsea legend of disregard, saying when he sent a message to the UEFA Champions League (UCL) winner, “he never responded; he never called me back; he totally ignored me”.
Furthermore, the ex-Super Eagles coach revealed that he scheduled appointments with Mikel and Victor Moses in London, both Chelsea players at the time. While Moses honoured the meeting, Mikel refused to come.
Another player Oliseh said he had problems with was Enyeama.
He said:
"Just before the game against Tanzania, we were playing on Friday, everybody came into camp. On Wednesday, the man (Enyeama) was still not there, only to phone us on Wednesday evening that he was not going to come because he wanted to bury his mother who died three months ago."
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Renard is fancied to succeed Finidi George, who resigned abruptly in June 2024.
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Source: Legit.ng
