Former Super Eagles head coach Sunday Oliseh has revealed that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) advised him against inviting John Obi Mikel, Vincent Enyeama and Emmanuel Emenike to the national team when he assumed the coaching role.
Oliseh said the federation had described the three former internationals as players who were creating difficulties within the national team setup. He added that he regretted ignoring the advice and attempting to resolve the issues through personal engagements.
Speaking on The Play Zone Podcast, the former Nigeria captain recalled that he travelled to France to meet Enyeama, who was playing for Lille at the time, in an effort to discuss matters surrounding his involvement with the national team.
He also disclosed that he travelled to London at his own expense to arrange a meeting with Mikel and Victor Moses, who were both playing in England.
According to Oliseh, he contacted the players and their clubs before arranging the meeting in central London, where he intended to hear their concerns and find a way forward.
However, he said Moses attended the meeting while Mikel failed to show up and did not respond to his WhatsApp message.
Oliseh described the incident as one of the biggest insults he had experienced as a coach, although he maintained that he did not take it personally.
The former midfielder suggested that Mikel’s status at a major European club might have influenced his attitude towards the meeting. He stressed that every player, regardless of club reputation or individual achievements, should respect the authority of the person appointed to manage the national team.
“Where did you play that I did not play? What did you play that I did not play?” Oliseh recalled asking, while emphasizing the importance of respecting the position of the national team coach.
He also praised Victor Moses for attending the meeting and openly explaining his concerns about the national team environment. Oliseh said some of the issues Moses raised were experiences he could personally relate to.
In contrast, Oliseh spoke positively about Emenike, describing the former striker as respectful and a gentleman. He also credited the forward’s contribution to Nigeria’s triumph at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, describing him as one of the finest players he had worked with.
Oliseh questions quality of current Super Eagles
In a separate part of the podcast, Oliseh argued that Nigeria’s recent struggles in international football were partly due to what he considers a decline in the quality of players compared with previous generations.
He cited former Nigerian stars such as Finidi George, Rashidi Yekini, Emmanuel Amuneke, Victor Ikpeba, Taribo West, Celestine Babayaro, Ben Iroha and Tijani Babangida, noting that several members of that generation played for prominent European clubs.
Oliseh challenged listeners to identify current Super Eagles players featuring for clubs with realistic ambitions of winning major European competitions, arguing that the standard of players’ club football could help explain the national team’s difficulties.
His comments have reopened discussion about the relationships between coaches and senior players, the management of the national team during his tenure and the quality of Nigeria’s current crop of internationals.
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