Sunday Oliseh, former Super Eagles head coach, says the Nigerian federation advised him to stop calling up John Obi Mikel, Vincent Enyeama and Emmanuel Emenike. His remarks were reported by the New National Star.
Sunday Oliseh, former Super Eagles head coach, says the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) recommended, when he took charge, that he stop calling up John Obi Mikel, former Nigeria international, Vincent Enyeama, former international goalkeeper, and Emmanuel Emenike, former international striker. According to the New National Star, which reports his comments on The Play Zone podcast, the governing body described the three players as a source of difficulties for the organisation.
Oliseh’s regret therefore concerns one specific choice: not having followed that recommendation, made as soon as he took the job. He also says he tried to meet the players concerned, with mixed results.
A regret stated plainly
In an excerpt relayed by the New National Star, Oliseh does not mince his words: “I regret not having listened to the NFF. Because when I took over the job, the first thing NFF told me was to stop inviting three of them (Mikel, Enyeama and Emenike) because they were chaotic to the NFF”. In other words, he regrets not having listened to the federation, which had asked him, as soon as he took charge, to stop calling up those three players, deemed sources of chaos for the governing body.
He says he travelled to France to meet Vincent Enyeama, then at Lille, to discuss his situation with the national team.
London, Mikel and the missed meeting
According to his account, Oliseh says he travelled to London at his own expense to meet John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses, former Nigeria international. With the former, the meeting did not happen: Mikel reportedly did not turn up and did not reply to his WhatsApp message.
Victor Moses, for his part, honoured the invitation, the former head coach says. These claims rest solely on Oliseh’s statements, reported by a single source.
Emenike, praised for his behaviour
While Oliseh regrets not having followed the NFF’s advice regarding Mikel and Enyeama, he takes a different line on Emmanuel Emenike. He praises his behaviour, which he describes as respectful, and highlights his contribution to Nigeria’s triumph at AFCON 2013.