. Sunday Oliseh And NFF Oficials During His Official Unveiling
As it is with Nigeria our beloved country in the era of change, so also it is with the Super Eagles under new manager, Sunday Ogorchukwu Oliseh. As we speak, ministry parastatals and other establishments are currently undergoing moment of change under President Muhammadu Buhari, where looted funds are being refunded by looters both home and in the diaspora. The recent happenings in the Super Eagles is far-fetched, as striker Emmanuel Emenike decided to quit international football; less than two weeks after former captain and goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama announced his retirement through the same method, the Instagram. What could have been the problem? What is even the issue with the players under the management of ‘Pep Guardiola of Africa’? (Sunday Oliseh’s new appellation) that is the million dollar questions begging for answers.
Oliseh took over the reins of Super Eagles in July 2015, following the sack of ‘Big Boss’, Stephen Keshi, and ever since then it has been a different situation in camp with the players. Few months after his resumption, the coach picked his new captain, Ahmed Musa and that seem to be the genesis of the crisis with Vincent Enyeama quitting the stage prematurely after 13 years of service to the Super Eagles with 101 caps.
Under Keshi as coach of the Super Eagles players didn’t retire from the national team like we are seeing today under new coach Sunday Oliseh. The only player that retired when Keshi was in-charge was Joseph Yobo, and everybody agreed the time was right for the Ogoja-born former captain to quit. But what can we say in less than three months that Oliseh took over two prominent players are already retiring? Then something is wrong somewhere, except we don’t want to tell ourselves the truth.
Some are of the opinion that Emenike doesn’t deserve national team call-up anymore with his inability to score in over 16 games for the Super Eagles, and therefore the Al-Ain striker should go. I am not saying he (Emenike) shouldn’t go, but the circumstances they are quitting the team is the cause of worry for all and sundry. If the NFF does not step in to address the situation now we don’t know who is retiring next.
This situation has gone beyond the issue of code of conduct or social media control among the players in camp like the NFF is proposing, it has a lot to do with the football body sitting down with the coach, and by extension allowing the players to speak their minds. Not the intending ‘military barracks’ approach employed by the coach. This is the right time for NFF to act, not until when the damage is done. There won’t be reason for any ‘damage control’ move if they do the needful now that the situation is still under control.
You can’t tell me that all is well in the Super Eagles camp with the way things are turning out, Mikel Obi refused to take captain arm-band from Musa when the CSKA forward was substituted in one of the Belgium friendlies. And within less than two weeks things are already fallen apart, we hope the centre would still hold because we don’t have any other national team we can call our own.
When Enyeama announced his retirement less than two weeks ago he said he is quitting for national interest, similarly, Emenike said on Monday night that he is quitting for national peace; what a contrast! As far as I am concerned there are strong similarities with the players’ comments in their decisions to quit the national team. Mikel Obi refused the arm-band from Musa, and the next point of action from the NFF is code of conduct. Did they ever take time to inquire why re rejected the it?
The Amaju Pinnick led NFF has many questions to answer Nigerians if they fail to prevail on the situation tearing the Super Eagles apart. Prior to USA ’94 World Cup there has been one issue or the other in the Super Eagles which led us to the issue of ‘cabal’, which Oliseh himself was also part of; but even then it was not as bad like this. Players chose to stay in spite of the situation, no body was quitting the team; however in this era when Oliseh is in-charge players doesn’t want to stay; my fear now is we don’t know who is next?
Ability to manage players both on the pitch and outside is what makes coaches in absolute control. With my little experience about man management, you don’t compel respect, you earn it, and that is what distinguished you to be a good leader. If this is what is causing problem in the team, then I think Oliseh needs to wise up in that area.
The last time when Nigeria defeated Cameroon in the international friendly in Brussels, Oliseh ran to his twitter handle to write that “the victory is for true naija fans who believed despite all the lies”, and to my greatest surprise the tweet was immediately removed few hours later, which later generated more controversies. That was aftermath of the crisis with Enyeama in camp. As a leader you don’t do that if you want to lead well.
This is the era of change in the Super Eagles, but like the old adage ‘if you use right hand to whip a child, you draw the child closer with the left hand’. A word is enough for the wise!