Following the appointment of Sunday Oliseh as the new coach of the national team, the Super Eagles on Wednesday.
The decisions have generated mixed reactions with many saying the former Borrusia Dortmund midfielder lacks the capability to handle the national team.
But Former Nigerian international, Joe Erico says the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) made the right choice in hiring Sunday Oliseh as the new coach of Super Eagles.
The ex-shot stopper is optimistic that Oliseh is the right coach for the Eagles because of his vast qualifications and past glorious days while playing for the senior national team.
“I believe Oliseh is a good choice by the Nigeria Football Federation and I wonder why people keep writing him off saying he lacks the experience. Will he not start from somewhere?” Erico said.
“He needs to have a starting point after all he is not the first case we have seen in football and definitely will not be the last.
“Aside from his qualification in coaching which is a proof that he is well trained, it will be easy for him to lift the fortunes of the Eagles he once captained.”
“The NFF must have given him the terms to work with and I’m sure Oliseh knows what they want. I wish him all the best and hope he doesn’t fail Nigerians.
“He needs to look into every area because there is a vacuum already in the Super Eagles which he must fill,” he concluded.
Oliseh becomes the fifth player in the 1994 squad of Eagles to coach the senior national team after Austin Eguavoen, Samson Siasia, Daniel Amokachi and Stephen Keshi.
“It’s a great honour to be coach of this great nation,” said Oliseh at the unveiling ceremony.
“I’m not coming as a messiah. I’m coming as a man who wants to serve his country and give 150%.
“Gone are the days when we had individual players who can win games on their own. But we have potential,” he added.
“No player outside of first division in Nigeria or elsewhere will play for the Super Eagles. We will work together with the technical committee because if we fail, they fail,” he concluded.
The ex-international will now hope to inspire an immediate improvement in the Eagles’ fortunes, starting with a win against Tanzania in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in September.
Can Sunday Oliseh stand the heat of NFF and Nigeria’s pressure and still deliver on the job?
Anthony Nlebem
@AnthonyNlebem
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