After a long silence, Super Eagles Coach, Sunday Oliseh has reacted to some critics calling for his removal after Nigeria lost to Guinea during the CHAN 2016 tournament. Oliseh in a statement on his website took a swipe at some of his ex-Nigerian teammates and other “special interest critics” who were instigating calls for his removal noting that since he assumed the job of coaching Nigeria’s Super Eagles, he has had 14 games, losing only 2.
“It’s been 14 games since I took over as Chief Coach of the Super Eagles. We have lost just one official game and one friendly game, scored 19 goals, conceded 6 goals. Qualified to the group stages of the World Cup qualifiers and still on track to qualify for the 2017 AFCON. We were voted by FIFA as the youngest National team of 2015 and moved up in the FIFA Rankings, all done in a space of less than 8 months,” he said.
Further addressing his critics in a set of two videos released on Sunday, Oliseh who had maintained silence in the face of malicious attacks coming from some of his ex-Nigerian teammates would have no more of it. “Now it’s the time to attack”, he said.
“The usual critics have brought out their fangs again.
“I’m addressing this constant insanity, this madness that has befallen some of our critics. You must be insane to ask questions on the future of the Super Eagles because we lost CHAN.
“With all due respect, CHAN is the least important tournament organised by CAF, and it is a tournament which weighs on the strength of the various leagues and you can see how far DR Congo and TP Mazembe have gone.
“What then should be done to the coaches of Ghana, South Africa and Egypt, who did not qualify for this tournament?
“This insanity each time the Super Eagles lose, these critics go on air and start seeking the future of the coach. This is madness!
“They did the same thing when we lost to DR Congo, which was a friendly game. They were asking questions if this was the right person to lead the Super Eagles.
“We lost to Guinea, and this comes after a 10-game unbeaten run, and they start this hulabalo over the future of the coach of the Super Eagles.”
Despite the criticism, Oliseh maintained he was on course to qualifying the country for both AFCON 2017 and the 2018 World Cup.
“We’re on track to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations and we have qualified into the pool stage for the World Cup,” he said.
“This is the 14th game I have been in charge as coach and we have lost only two and only one official game.
“So, where is this failure that some people are trying to sell to Nigerians?
“Unless for coach Sunday Oliseh and his crew to be successful, they have to win all their matches. Jesus Christ! Even the world champions Germany are not doing that.
“Talk less of us who are a brand-new team we are building for some months now –the team to CHAN have seven players who are certainly leaving our shores to play abroad, two have already signed.
“I’m proud of what we have achieved with the Super Eagles of Nigeria. Nigerians are happy, there is so much team spirit, it is now interesting to watch the Super Eagles.”
Oliseh noted that he was not going to pay anyone to write positive things about him or compromise the future of the Super Eagles on the altar of doing business.
“No matter what these critics say, I will not pay anybody like some of them have asked me to, to write anything positive about me. I will not heed to those people who keep calling me at the back asking to invite players and have them play for Nigeria and then eventually sell them so we can do business. It will not happen”, he said.
“They can keep writing to make Nigerians believe that we are not succeeding but Nigerians are not blind. Nigerians are probably among the most intelligent people in the world and they know what is happening. I am serving Nigerians and I am not serving these critics”, he said.
Watch the full videos below:
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