Former Super Eagles player Sunday Oliseh has expressed his disapproval of a foreigner coaching the senior Nigerian national team.
Olisa speaking on Channels Sports on Sunday, insisted that there were worthy home-based coaches capable of doing a better job.
He said, ”I am totally against having that role not being handed over to a Nigerian because we have qualified Nigerians who can do that job.”
In January, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) appointed Eric Chelle, a French-born former Mali international, to succeed Augustine Eguavoen, who had been serving in an interim.
Since taking over, Chelle has overseen five games for the Super Eagles, winning three, drawing two, and recording zero losses.
He highlighted his own contributions to Nigerian football, including introducing young players like Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, and Kelechi Iheanacho to the national team.
His words’ i”When you are talking of a defensive midfield role, I was the one who brought in the young man Wilfred Ndidi.
”It was at the same time I brought in Alex Nwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho, and I gave them their first call-up because they had the quality to do it,” Oliseh said.
Olisa also criticised the Nigerian team for having captains who had limited playing time in the squad.
”This I want to call an anomaly, and it started when we started having on the bench sitting captains.
You can’t have that, you can’t have your captain sitting on the bench.’
”In other words, you are saying it is an assistant that is leading the team. Super Eagles’ role is the most important in Nigerian football,” he said
He emphasised the importance of having a leader on the pitch who can inspire and guide the team.
Oliseh stressed the importance of the defensive midfielder role in protecting the team’s defense.
He emphasised the need for discipline and clear-cut instructions for players in this role.
Oliseh highlighted the importance of a tactician in football, saying that a good coach can make a significant difference in the team’s performance.
