NEWLY appointed coach of the Super Eagles Sunday Oliseh has said he is not a messiah, and should not be expected to perform miracles. Oliseh was unveiled by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in Abuja on Wednesday, with President Amaju Pinnick describing him as the Pep Guardiola of Africa.
In his speech, Oliseh expressed joy for the opportunity to serve, but made it clear he is human.
“It’s a great honour to be given the opportunity to coach my country. I’m not coming as a messiah but a man who wants to serve.”
The former Super Eagles’ captain gave a hint of what to expect from him.
“Only players that play in the top flight of recognised leagues in the world will make the team henceforth.”
That declaration will not go down well with most Nigerian players who are scattered across many clubs in the world. England, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy (all in Europe) have the best leagues in the world with very few number of Nigerians playing in their top flight leagues, which may see Oliseh himself struggle with the decision.
“If you judge Sunday from the past, you’ll be making a big mistake. We have all matured,” he stated.
“We will work together with the NFF technical committee. Because if we fail, they fail. I’m aware it’s a big job. I’m not here to fight but to work for Nigeria. It’s a privilege and I won’t toy with it,” a confident Oliseh said.
The multi-lingual Oliseh, who played professionally in Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, and won Olympic football gold, Africa Cup of Nations gold, silver and bronze and played in two FIFA World Cup final competitions, signed a three-year contract with an option for an additional another year.
