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Tag: Oliseh

  • There ‘ll be no sentiments in team selection, says Oliseh

    There ‘ll be no sentiments in team selection, says Oliseh

    Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh has said there won’t be sentiments when he selects his teams for games.

    The 40-year old says he will select only the most productive players irrespective of where they play.

    “We have the Nations Cup to prepare for, we have the CHAN to prepare for and we have the World Cup to prepare for,” he said.

    “There will be lots of games for everybody so we’re just going to move on along and try everybody out and try every player in each position and see how they can carry it out.”

    Speaking further, Oliseh added that if a home based player has shown more productivity against an overseas based counterpart, he will play the home based player.

    “If a player that is playing back home in the league here is giving more productivity than the one from abroad, he (home based player) will play because you want to win and I want to win, so there will be no sentiments,” Oliseh stressed.

    18 overseas based players have been invited for the game against Tanzania, and are expected to hit camp on or before the 31st of August, and will join the 21 home based players that have been training in Abuja.

  • Oliseh, Siasia

    Oliseh, Siasia

    We must work together

    Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Sunday Oliseh and his U-23 team counterpart, Samson Siasia, have told themselves they must work together for each other to succeed as Nigeria football looks to a much brighter future.

    Both respected technicians met at the office of the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi on Friday afternoon as Oliseh came to familiarize with NFF Management and Staff.

    “Whatever we might feel, the truth is that we are both condemned to work together. We have no choice than to pool resources together and see how we can both help ourselves succeed in our different but complementary tasks,” Oliseh, who was the first to arrive, said.

    Both men were integral part of Nigeria’s Golden Generation – the 1990s squad that took Nigeria to number five in the world rankings, won the Africa Cup of Nations and reached the Round of 16 at consecutive FIFA World Cup final competitions. Oliseh was also in the U-23 team that won Olympic gold in 1996.

    “I have coached the Super Eagles before and I know the nature of the job. It is no picnic. But we will always be in contact so that we can help each other at all times,” responded Siasia.

    While Siasia’s U-23 team is heading to the All-Africa Games in September, and also looks forward to participation at the African Olympics qualifying tournament (Africa U-23 Cup of Nations) in Senegal in December, Oliseh will be frisking for three points against Tanzania in the race for a place at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, and also has 2016 African Nations Championship and 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying races to deal with later in the year.

    NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, praised the duo for the maturity and pragmatism and assured that the NFF will give them, as well as coaches of other National Teams, all the support to succeed in their assignments.v

  • Oliseh upset over Ighalo, Emenike comparison

    Oliseh upset over Ighalo, Emenike comparison

    • Eagles coach pleased with home boys after win

    Sunday Oliseh insists he made no mistakes in his choice of strikers for Nigeria’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Tanzania on September 5.

    Oliseh handed call-ups to Ahmed Musa, Emem Eduok, Emmanuel Emenike, Anthony Ujah, Sylvester Igboun and Moses Simon who are expected to primarily shoulder the goalscoring responsibilities of the team in Dar es Salaam.

    The former Nigeria captain’s decision to leave out Watford’s in-form striker, Odion Ighalo however caused consternation among some sections of the local media and Oliseh did not take too kindly to a question a reporter put to him on the subject.

    “I know there would be (issues) over my decision to leave out Ighalo but then if we want the best out of our players, we have to give them respect.

    “Emenike is a Nations Cup winner (and he’s a) strong player.

    “Ujah scored ten goals in the German league and we are talking about a league that hosts the world champions.

    “Common, don’t start arguments and let’s talk about reasonable things,” a livid Oliseh told the stunned reporter.

    The Super Eagles will face the Taifa Stars on September 5 in Dar es Salaam on match day two of 2017 Afcon qualifying.

    Nigeria beat Chad 2-0 in their opening match of the section but trail on goals difference to Egypt after the Pharaohs beat Tanzania 3-0 in the other opening qualifying game in Group G.

    However, Oliseh has said he is pleased the players from the local league have put to practice some of the tips they learnt in their first two trainings when they beat an academy team 1-0 in a test game on Thursday.

    Gbolahan Salami scored the match winner from the penalty spot after he was brought down on his way to goal.

    “I am pleased with the players because they tried to bring to play some of the things we tried to teach them on Tuesday and Wednesday,like how to possess the ball,” said Oliseh.

    Only Rangers defender Orji Kalu is now being expected in the camp in Abuja after Enyimba released their players who were engaged in a decisive game against champions Kano Pillars.

    The players will be excused to join their clubs for weekend games later Friday and return by Tuesday to continue the training camp.

  • Oliseh blasts league clubs for not releasing players

    Oliseh blasts league clubs for not releasing players

    Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh has lashed out at Nigeria league clubs for keeping away their players from his training camp in Abuja.

    Oliseh has called up 23 players from the domestic league, but he had only 14 outfield players to train with in his first training session on Tuesday morning.

    “Those who are commenting or laying emphasis on the fact that we rely mainly on foreign players  should start asking questions because we are back home to train and we don’t have people to train,” said Oliseh.

    “Because every club is trying to hold on to them. So, how do we now want them to learn and catch up with the ones that are in front of them?

    “You can see that it affected our training, we have to change our training programme. We had invited 23 and we ended up with 14 field players. So, I will leave you to judge from this.”

    Title-chasing Enyimba have not released the four players called up for this training camp as they beat Kano Pillars yesterday in a crunch league game.

    The players are goalkeeper Femi Thomas, Idris Aloma, Kingsley Sokari and Ezekiel Bassey.

    Oliseh has said he will draft five players from this training camp to join the 18 foreign pros he called up for next month’s AFCON qualifier in Tanzania.

  • Oliseh releases NPFL players for league matches

    Oliseh releases NPFL players for league matches

    • Federation Cup ties too  • Players expected in camp Thursday

    Super Eagles’ technical crew has released the duo of Samson Gbadebo (Lobi Stars) and Orji Kalu(Enugu Rangers) to feature for their respective clubs in the semi-final of the Federation Cup which holds today in Katsina’s Karkanda International Stadium.

    Lobi Stars and Enugu Rangers will slug it out for the sole ticket to the final of the Federation Cup and the two players who only reported to camp on Monday evening were allowed to reunite with their team mates after they were permitted to travel yesterday for today’s tie.

    Gbadebo has been one of the outstanding players for Lobi since he joined the team last season while Orji performed creditably with Heartland before he crossed over to Enugu Rangers at the beginning of the season.

    The Media Officer of the Super Eagles who briefed SportingLife on the development revealed that the players and other ones that were held back by their clubs because of today’s league matches are expected to return to camp in Abuja before the end of activities on Thursday.

    Presently 16 players are in camp and they trained under the watchful eyes of Sunday Oliseh, the Eagles boss and his assistants yesterday.

  • Oliseh, NFF woo Nigerian football clubs to list on NSE

    Oliseh, NFF woo Nigerian football clubs to list on NSE

    Nigerian football clubs and league need to harness the vast opportunity offered by the nation’s capital market and the huge enthusiasm of sport-loving Nigerians to develop reliable funding channels by listing their companies on the Nigerian stock market.

    The new Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh and president, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr. Amaju Pinnick, who visited the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), called on Nigerian football clubs and footballers to take advantage of the stock market to build their future.

    Oliseh said Nigeria operates a capitalist economy that thrives on private funding and investments noting that football clubs cannot succeed without private sector funds.

    According to him, with a population of about 170 million Nigerians passionate about football, the only way to grow Nigerian football is to attract massive investments from the private sector.

    Pinnick said the NFF would go beyond the symbolic visit and ringing of the closing bell of the market to wooing Nigerian football clubs to list on the NSE.

    “We will want to have a good relationship with the NSE, in the nearest future, we will want clubs like Warri Wolves, Enugu Rangers, among others to be quoted on the stock exchange,” Pinnick said.

    He noted further that one of the problems the football section of the sport has seen is the increasing withdrawal of government from funding clubs because the governments now have a lot of fundamental challenges to attend to.

    “So if we want to have the football run in an effective way, we have to partner with the corporate organisations, so that our football will be run in the same way it is being run abroad,” Pinnick said.

    Oliseh promised that he would provide level-playing ground for all talented Nigerians stressing that players would be picked on merit while the coaching crew will work with all stakeholders to revive the country’s fortunes in the sport.

  • Oliseh recalls Emenike, Haruna for Tanzania clash

    Oliseh recalls Emenike, Haruna for Tanzania clash

    Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, has picked Dubai-based striker, Emmanuel Emenike, among 18 foreign-based professionals for next month’s African Nations Cup qualifier in Tanzania.

    Emenike at the weekend scored a brace to help Al Ain win the United Arab Emirate Super Cup, but many will question his invitation to the Super Eagles after Oliseh’s declaration that he will pick players featuring in the top leagues for his team, africanFootball.com reports.

    Skipper Vincent Enyeama, Kenneth Omeruo, Rabiu Ibrahim, Lukman Haruna, Joel Obi, Ahmed Musa and Anthony Ujah are also in the squad.

    However, there are a number of surprises, in line with the ex-Eagles captain’s earlier pledge to make current form and first –level football key indices for selection.

    The surprise invitees are Wolves of England goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme, midfielder Izunna Ernest Uzochukwu and forwards Emem Eduok, Sylvester Igboun and Moses Simon.

     

    The full squad:

     

    Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Lille OSC, France); Carl Ikeme (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England).

    Defenders: Leon Balogun (FSV Mainz 05, Germany); Kingsley Madu (AS Trencin, Slovakia); Godfrey Oboabona (Caykur Rizespor, Turkey); William Troost Ekong (FK Haugesund, Norway); Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa SK, Turkey).

    Midfielders: Joel Obi (Torino FC, Italy); Izunna Ernest Uzochukwu (FC Amkar Perm, Russia); Obiora Nwankwo (Coimbra FC, Portugal); Lukman Haruna (Anzhi Machatsjkala, Russia); Rabiu Ibrahim (AS Trencin, Slovakia).

    Forwards: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Emem Eduok (Esperance ST, Tunisia); Emmanuel Emenike (Al Ain, UAE); Anthony Ujah (Werder Bremen, Germany); Sylvester Igboun (FC UFA, Russia); Moses Simon (KAA Gent, Belgium).

     

  • Team selection: Lawal warns Oliseh

    Team selection: Lawal warns Oliseh

    Former Nigeria international, Garba Lawal has advised Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh to avoid making a wholesale change to the team, as he gets set to announce the list of invited overseas based players for next month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania.

    Speaking to News24, Lawal advised Oliseh to make a gradual change to the team, as the current crop of players are all important.

    “I don’t think he should be in a hurry to make a change to the team,” Lawal said.

    “It’s not possible to just sack all the players, it’s not possible. He has to make a gradual change because I believe everybody in the team now is important. Whether the new or the old players, all are important so I will advise a gradual change if he wants, and nothing wholesale.”

    Lawal, who played alongside Oliseh in the Super Eagles, and both players were on the score sheet in the 3-2 win over Spain at the France ’98 World Cup, says he expects to still see some of the regular faces when Oliseh eventually names the list of overseas based players.

    “I do expect we will see some of the regular faces we know because he can’t remove all the players at once,” he added.

  • Oliseh woos Akpom, Iwobi

    Oliseh woos Akpom, Iwobi

    Super Eagles’ head coach, Sunday Oliseh has had useful discussions with  Arsenal duo of Chuba Akpom and Alex Iwobi in his bid to woo overseas players with Nigerian heritage to play for the senior national team, SportingLife has been told.

    A source close to the new Super Eagles’ coach revealed that Oliseh spoke with many of the current squad members of the senior national team in England and those that are yet to be capped by the team as he continues his search for a solid senior national team.

    The source told SportingLife that Oliseh saw good potentials in Akpom and Iwobi and he didn’t hesitate to speak with the duo encouraging them to play for Nigeria where they have better prospects ahead of England where they could be used and dumped.

    Oliseh, who is overseas, is expected to return to Nigeria on Friday to have discussions with his technical crew where they are expected to compare notes ahead of the Gabon 2017 AFCON qualifier against Tanzania on September 5.

  • Adeniji thanks Oliseh for Eagles call – up

    Adeniji thanks Oliseh for Eagles call – up

    • Aims to smash all-time record

    Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL, leading marksman Tunde Adeniji has thanked new Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh for giving him the opportunity to prove himself in the senior national team.

    Oliseh on Friday named the former Rising Stars of Akure striker among a strong 23 home –based professionals for next month’s2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier away to Tanzania.

    Adeniji,who is just 19, was discovered by scouts of the Ondo State Football Agency,ODSFA, while playing for Methodist High School in Okitipupa, Ondo state.

    And he has insisted that his target is not just to become the league’s highest goal scorer this season but also to break the NPFL all time goal record of 23 goal set last season by Enyimba’s Mfon Udoh.

    “My target is to break the record created by Mfon Udoh last season. He scored 23goals and with the help of my team mates, I know I can go pass that record this season,” Tunde Adeniji stated.

    The erstwhile Rising Stars of Akure forward, has scored 12 goals so far, one   Heartland’s Bright Ejike who is on 11 goals.

    His goals have helped Sunshine Stars reclaim the top position in the NPFL from Enyimba of Aba.