Sunday Oliseh Reveals NFF Directed Him to Exclude 3 players from Super Eagles

Former Super Eagles head coach, Sunday Oliseh, has revealed that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) instructed him not to invite three key players during his tenure. Oliseh identified these players as Vincent Enyeama, John Obi Mikel, and Emmanuel Emenike.

Oliseh, who managed the national team from July 2015 to February 2016, eventually resigned due to the NFF’s failure to honor his contract terms.

In an interview with Elegbete TV, Sunday Oliseh shared that the NFF attributed their failure to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to issues with certain players, which had also troubled former coach Stephen Keshi. The NFF asked Oliseh to exclude these players from the team.

Oliseh recounted his response: “When I was appointed by the NFF to coach the Super Eagles, they said they had problems with certain players, which led to our failure to qualify for AFCON. They asked me not to invite these players. I told them I would first speak to the players and try to get them on board.”

He continued, “I met with the team captain, Enyeama, and discussed my philosophy with him. The NFF’s main issues were with Enyeama, John Obi Mikel, and Emmanuel Emenike.”