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Tag: Sunday Oliseh

  • AFCON qualifier: We are going for victory – Oliseh

    AFCON qualifier: We are going for victory – Oliseh

    Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, is expecting his charges to defeat Tanzania in Saturday’s African Nations Cup qualifier, his first game in charge of the team.

    “We are here to win. That is the spirit of the Super Eagles of Nigeria. Of course, we respect the Taifa Stars, but we do not fear any team,” allnigeriasoccer.com quoted Oliseh as saying ahead of the match.

    “I can tell you that there is a new mentality in this team and our focus is the three points available on Saturday.”

    Tanzania last qualified for the AFCON in 1980, when Nigeria hosted the tournament.

  • Oliseh blasts NPFL clubs over non-release of players

    Oliseh blasts NPFL clubs over non-release of players

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

    Oliseh invited 23 players from the domestic league, but only 14 outfield players attended the first training session held on Tuesday morning.

    “Those who are commenting or laying emphasis on the fact that we rely mainly on foreign players to play should start asking questions because we are back home to train and we don’t have people to train,” africanFootball.com quoted the Eagles’ coach as saying after Tuesday’s training session.

    “The clubs are trying to hold on to their players. 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.”

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

  • Oliseh defends Ighalo’s omission from Eagles squad

    Oliseh defends Ighalo’s omission from Eagles squad

    Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, has insisted he cannot call up all the country’s top stars at once and asked Watford striker Odion Ighalo to wait for his turn in the team.

    Ighalo was a major omission from an 18-man list of foreign-based players invited by Oliseh for next month’s African Nations Cup qualifier in Tanzania, africanFootball.com reports.

    Ighalo scored his first Eagles goal in a 2-0 home win over Chad in June AFCON qualifier and he got off to a flying start in the English Premier League with a goal on the opening day of the season.

    “We can only play 11 players at once. We have two other strikers we want to try out,” africanFootball.com quoted the Super Eagles coach as saying in response to questions over Ighalo’s exclusion.

    Russia-based Sylvester Igboun and Esperance striker Emem Eduok have been considered ahead of the former Flying Eagles skipper.

    Ighalo told africanFootball.com he was disappointed not be called up, but hopes to continue working hard at his English club.

    Oliseh also restated his resolve to adopt “a winning style of play.”

    “We are starting from the scratch, but with time I hope for a winning style of play,” he promised.

  • AFCON: Oliseh invites 23 for Tanzania tie

    AFCON: Oliseh invites 23 for Tanzania tie

    Two of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) leading scorers, Tunde Adeniji of Sunshine Stars and Heartland’s Bright Ejike are among the 23 players invited from the domestic league for  next month’s 2017 African Nations Cup qualifier against Tanzania

    Adeniji currently leads the for the AFCON qualifier are – Etebo Oghenekaro, Ezekiel Bassey, Gbolahan Salami, Bright Onyedikachi and Prince Aggreh.

    Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, also invited three goalkeepers namely – Olufemi Thomas, Ikechukwu Ezenwa and David Obiazo for the battle of Dar-es-Salam.

    The full squad:

    GOALKEEPERS: Olufemi Thomas (Enyimba FC); David Obiazo (Heartland FC); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Sunshine Stars).

     DEFENDERS: Orji Kalu (Enugu Rangers); Solomon Kwambe (Warri Wolves); Idris Aloma (Enyimba FC); Chima Akas (Sharks FC); Nelson Ogbonnaya (Heartland FC); Samson Gbadebo (Lobi Stars); Jamiu Alimi (3SC); Stephen Eze (Sunshine Stars).

    MIDFIELDERS: Ifeanyi Mathew (El-Kanemi Warriors); Usman Mohammed (FC Taraba); Azubuike Okechukwu (Bayelsa United); Lordson Ichull (Warri Wolves); Kingsley Sokari (Enyimba FC).

    FORWARDS: Etebo Oghenekaro (Warri Wolves); Ezekiel Bassey (Enyimba FC); Gbolahan Salami (Warri Wolves); Bright Ejike (Heartland FC); Tunde Adeniji (Sunshine Stars); Bright Onyedikachi (FC Ifeanyiubah); Prince Aggreh (Sunshine Stars).

  • Oliseh will succeed with Eagles – Peterside

    Oliseh will succeed with Eagles – Peterside

    Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Idah Peterside, believes Super Eagles manager, Sunday Oliseh, will succeed in his latest assignment “because he’s a very intelligent man.”

    Peterside believes the ex-Juventus midfielder will not fail as his cerebral disposition puts him in good stead to become a successful national team coach.

    “Sunny (Oliseh) will do well because he’s an intelligent man.

    “We have always had coaches that coach football but have hardly ever had intelligent people that read the game,” Peterside told supersport.com.

    The Supersport pundit added that “the game has changed” with coaches in the ilk of Oliseh required in the national team set up.

    “Football has changed. People like (Jose) Mourinho did not play football but they are successful coaches because they are extremely intelligent.

    “Most coaches collapse when there is pressure but intelligent people call on their wisdom when they are in a very tight spot,” Peterside declared.

    He concluded by praising the new coach over his stance on inviting to his team, only footballers plying their trade in top divisions across the globe.

    “The coach has started well in that regard. In my time, you sweated before you got a call up but these days things are so different and players from mundane leagues get invited.

    “You cannot just walk into the German, Spanish or Brazilian national teams if you don’t play in a recognized team in a recognized league.

    “Sunny is bringing that back to the Nigeria national team and he should be commended for that,” he said.

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  • Oliseh insists on selection policy

    Oliseh insists on selection policy

    Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, insisted he has not backtracked on his promise of selecting only Nigerian footballers plying their trade in first division clubs, for the Super Eagles.

    Reports in the media on Tuesday had indicated that the coach had made a U-turn from his initial pledge, but the trainers dismissed the insinuation as untrue.

    “Only 1st Division Players are eligible to play for the Super Eagles. Only exceptions (are) U23, U20 players (and) Goalkeepers! No U turn as some claim!,” supersport.com quoted the ex-Super Eagles captain as saying on his Twitter handle – @SundayOOliseh.

    He then went on to post a video on his timeline noting that, “This Video was made just for you my dear followers to avoid people misquoting and you getting authentic Information.”

    In the video, Oliseh revealed that preparations are in top gear for the upcoming World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

    “At the moment, we are assembling a team, in fact we are trying to start up from the scratch.

    “And in getting the players that we think are the best in playing the style that we want to play, we have split our search (for such players) into two phases.

    “The (two phases include that of) the home-based (players) and (that of) the foreign-based (players).

    “At the moment, we have visited some players at their clubs and even watched them play.

    “We have also made contact with several of the potential players that we hope to assemble as we play out first AFCON qualifying game against Tanzania in Tanzania,” he said.

    He also added that training for the game against the Taifa Stars will commence in August.

     

  • NFF supports Oliseh’s U-turn on selection criteria

    NFF supports Oliseh’s U-turn on selection criteria

    The Nigeria Football Federation has thrown its weight behind new Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh’s decision to change his criteria for invitation of players to the national team.

    Oliseh had on Monday through his YouTube page announced a change in his initial position not to invite players who are not playing in top-flight leagues in the world.

    The Eagles coach noted that goalkeepers and outfield players plying their trade in the lower leagues and who are exceptional would now be considered for invitation to the Super Eagles.

    NFF president Amaju Pinnick in a chat with africanFootball.com said “We support everything Oliseh is doing. He knows what’s best for his team and I can tell you that Oliseh has been working since he left the country.

    “I am particularly impressed at his work ethics and professionalism. There is no action he takes that he does not first inform us (NFF) on the rationale behind the decision and the motive he intends to achieve with such a decision.”

    “We need to give him time because everything he does is in the best interest of the country. We don’t have a problem with his change of position.”

    Oliseh is expected to announce his list of call-ups for the 2017 African Nations Cup qualifier against Tanzania in the coming week.

  • NFF to pay for Oliseh’s Abuja house

    NFF to pay for Oliseh’s Abuja house

    New Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, has located a house in highbrow Maitama, Abuja, and the Nigeria Football Federation has agreed to pay the annual rent of five million naira.

    A top source told africanFootball.com that “Oliseh has already seen his house in Abuja. It’s in Maitama and the rent is five million naira a year. The NFF is now preparing to pay for it.”

    Oliseh’s assistants are also be housed in Abuja as they begin the onerous task of rebuilding the Super Eagles.

    Oliseh’s predecessor, Stephen Keshi, stayed in hotels in Abuja when he was in charge of the Eagles.

  • Why Oliseh chose Belgian assistant

    Why Oliseh chose Belgian assistant

    Considering the decision of the newly announced head coach of the Nigerian national football team, Super Eagles, some interesting facts are playing out on why Oliseh may be most comfortable to work with Jean Francois Losciuto from Belgium as his assistant.

    Oliseh And AssistantThe assistant, Losciuto is a Belgian who has coached several African teams, who is based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

    Besides being assistant to Sunday Oliseh while at Verviétois in Belgium where the new former Super Eagles captain was head coach, he was the coach of Rwandan club, Rayon Sport FC which he left for ASFA Yennenga of Burkina Faso in 2014.

    The new Super Eagles assistant coach also holds a UEFA coaching license like his boss, Sunday Oliseh.

    Sunday Oliseh and the Belgian met in Liege, his hometown where Oliseh started his international footballing career.

  • Unveiling Sunday Oliseh as Eagles coach

    Unveiling Sunday Oliseh as Eagles coach