Sunday Oliseh, who is now former Super Eagles coach resigned from his job via his Twitter handle citing "contract violations, unpaid wages and benefits to players and assistant coaches" as reasons.
When he took over Stephen Keshi's job what was he thinking? What was he expecting? He knew what Keshi was going through, so he knew what he was going to go through himself.
Oliseh seems an intelligent man. He is a well respected sports personality. But this time he has got it all wrong! Oliseh should not have resigned his appointment if he was sure of what he was doing. If everyone resigns like Oliseh who will then save this country?
Oliseh should spare Nigerians those reasons he gave. There is already a familiar ring to them. What is clear is, Oliseh abandoned his job, he abandoned his men, and abandoned the country, leaving all in the lurch.
Perhaps if Oliseh were our president with all the problems besetting us as a nation he would have gone on exile.
Or what other excuse can Oliseh give for his course of action? He does not have a good working condition. Many Nigerian doctors experience that. He is being distracted by critics. Even the President of the country is getting worse from the opposition. He was not paid his salary. Nigerian workers across many states of the federation have not been paid for several months.
Jose Mourinho was having a poor result with Chelsea this Premier League season. It was obvious some players were making his job difficult and in fact wanted him to fail. Yet he said he would never resign unless he was sacked. He was eventually sacked "honourably." Louis Van Gaal has been having a poor run with Manchester United, with speculations rife that he would leave or be sacked. Yet he came out to say he would stay the course. Gary Neville is also having the same problem with Valencia, yet he has stayed put on the job.
Even if there are contractual issues Nigerians whom he is serving should know about them. He should be seen to have made an effort to salvage the situation. He owes more to Nigerians than to the NFF. If he could go to the social media to call his critics "insane" he might be forgiven by Nigerians if he used it to carry us along about his "frustrations," never mind what his employers might think.
Clemense Westerhof succeeded because he truly loved the Super Eagles and found a way direct to the country's leader. Oliseh could have done the same. Even Stephen Keshi enjoyed it recently until the change of guard. The interest of Nigerian football should be paramount.
Perhaps the only situation in this circumstance Oliseh or any other person should throw in the towel would have been if his own actions have undermined the integrity of the office or the job he is doing. But as long as Oliseh was doing the right thing he should never have resigned. Oliseh was doing a national duty and it is on his honour.
If actually he is what we thought he was, before he signed the contract he should have told the NFF that he would not take any "nonsense." But of course he wouldn't have dared. He wanted the job desperately, just for it to be on record that he has coached a national team which was missing in his curriculum vitae. And luckily for him the offer came from his own national team. And having been a former captain of the team it makes it sound all the better. And of course he was also in for the money.
Oliseh has lots of theory in his head but hardly any practical strategy of moving Nigerian football forward. We had such students back in school who were good in theory but poor in practical.
Nigerians should now know the real reason Oliseh resigned. Oliseh resigned because he was having cold feet on the approaching Nations Cup qualifiers double-header with the Pharaohs of Egypt. His team's inability to get past the group stage of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) highlighted his inexperience. Never mind that Oliseh said the competition was not his priority which is all sour grapes. Does Oliseh know more than the Confederation of African Football (CAF) that thought of the competition? Or the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) that now uses results from the matches to decide football rankings?
Oliseh's choice of a coach has made Nigeria lose momentum. Oliseh does not yet have the temperament and maturity to handle the Nigerian senior football team.
The Liberian legend George Weah coached his national team without being paid and financed it all by himself and qualified his country for two Nations Cup. That is someone who truly loves his country and ready to make sacrifices. Ready to go the extra mile to see to the success of his country.
No one person is greater than Nigeria. The NFF has done right by quickly filling the vacuum created by Oliseh's exit in Samson Siasia. Nigeria cannot afford to take any chances, Oliseh or no Oliseh.
It was the same Oliseh who captained a team that was beaten at home by Cameroun at a Nations Cup final. That day he wept like a baby. I thought it was borne out of the love of country. Now I know better.
Nigeria must move on. While Oliseh can go back to his sports analysis with Supersport. But whatever "expert" opinion he gives I will take with a grain of salt.
Dr Cosmas Odoemena
Sunday Oliseh, who is now former Super Eagles coach resigned from his job via his Twitter handle citing "contract violations, unpaid wages and benefits to players and assistant coaches" as reasons.
When he took over Stephen Keshi's job what was he thinking? What was he expecting? He knew what Keshi was going through, so he knew what he was going to go through himself.
Oliseh seems an intelligent man. He is a well respected sports personality. But this time he has got it all wrong! Oliseh should not have resigned his appointment if he was sure of what he was doing. If everyone resigns like Oliseh who will then save this country?
Oliseh should spare Nigerians those reasons he gave. There is already a familiar ring to them. What is clear is, Oliseh abandoned his job, he abandoned his men, and abandoned the country, leaving all in the lurch.
Perhaps if Oliseh were our president with all the problems besetting us as a nation he would have gone on exile.
Or what other excuse can Oliseh give for his course of action? He does not have a good working condition. Many Nigerian doctors experience that. He is being distracted by critics. Even the President of the country is getting worse from the opposition. He was not paid his salary. Nigerian workers across many states of the federation have not been paid for several months.
Jose Mourinho was having a poor result with Chelsea this Premier League season. It was obvious some players were making his job difficult and in fact wanted him to fail. Yet he said he would never resign unless he was sacked. He was eventually sacked "honourably." Louis Van Gaal has been having a poor run with Manchester United, with speculations rife that he would leave or be sacked. Yet he came out to say he would stay the course. Gary Neville is also having the same problem with Valencia, yet he has stayed put on the job.
Even if there are contractual issues Nigerians whom he is serving should know about them. He should be seen to have made an effort to salvage the situation. He owes more to Nigerians than to the NFF. If he could go to the social media to call his critics "insane" he might be forgiven by Nigerians if he used it to carry us along about his "frustrations," never mind what his employers might think.
Clemense Westerhof succeeded because he truly loved the Super Eagles and found a way direct to the country's leader. Oliseh could have done the same. Even Stephen Keshi enjoyed it recently until the change of guard. The interest of Nigerian football should be paramount.
Perhaps the only situation in this circumstance Oliseh or any other person should throw in the towel would have been if his own actions have undermined the integrity of the office or the job he is doing. But as long as Oliseh was doing the right thing he should never have resigned. Oliseh was doing a national duty and it is on his honour.
If actually he is what we thought he was, before he signed the contract he should have told the NFF that he would not take any "nonsense." But of course he wouldn't have dared. He wanted the job desperately, just for it to be on record that he has coached a national team which was missing in his curriculum vitae. And luckily for him the offer came from his own national team. And having been a former captain of the team it makes it sound all the better. And of course he was also in for the money.
Oliseh has lots of theory in his head but hardly any practical strategy of moving Nigerian football forward. We had such students back in school who were good in theory but poor in practical.
Nigerians should now know the real reason Oliseh resigned. Oliseh resigned because he was having cold feet on the approaching Nations Cup qualifiers double-header with the Pharaohs of Egypt. His team's inability to get past the group stage of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) highlighted his inexperience. Never mind that Oliseh said the competition was not his priority which is all sour grapes. Does Oliseh know more than the Confederation of African Football (CAF) that thought of the competition? Or the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) that now uses results from the matches to decide football rankings?
Oliseh's choice of a coach has made Nigeria lose momentum. Oliseh does not yet have the temperament and maturity to handle the Nigerian senior football team.
The Liberian legend George Weah coached his national team without being paid and financed it all by himself and qualified his country for two Nations Cup. That is someone who truly loves his country and ready to make sacrifices. Ready to go the extra mile to see to the success of his country.
No one person is greater than Nigeria. The NFF has done right by quickly filling the vacuum created by Oliseh's exit in Samson Siasia. Nigeria cannot afford to take any chances, Oliseh or no Oliseh.
It was the same Oliseh who captained a team that was beaten at home by Cameroun at a Nations Cup final. That day he wept like a baby. I thought it was borne out of the love of country. Now I know better.
Nigeria must move on. While Oliseh can go back to his sports analysis with Supersport. But whatever "expert" opinion he gives I will take with a grain of salt.
Dr Cosmas Odoemena
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