Former Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh has revealed that the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, warned him against inviting John Obi Mikel, Vincent Enyeama and Emmanuel Emenike to the national team when he took over.
He described the three big players then as being chaotic to the NFF and the team, and regretted not having listened to the warning from the NFF.
Oliseh recalled how Mikel Obi refused to show up after he invited the then Chelsea midfielder and Victor Moses for a meeting in London as the national team coach, adding that Mikel felt he was bigger than him(Oliseh) because he was playing for a big club.
Speaking in a viral podcast video on X, the former Juventus midfielder said, “I regret not having listened to the NFF. Because when I took over the job, the first thing NFF told me was to stop inviting three of them (Mikel, Enyeama and Emenike) because they were chaotic to the NFF.
“They were chaotic to the system. I did the same thing for Obi Mikel. With my own money, not the NFF money, I went to the UK, sent a message to the clubs, sent a message to him(Mikel), sent message not only to him but also to Victor Moses, gave them an appointment at a bar that was accessible in the heart of London, with my assistant coach, for two of them to come and have meeting.
“Now, of the two of them, who did not come to the meeting? Obi Mikel did not come to the meeting. Victor Moses came. Obi Mikel did not even respond to the WhatsApp message.
“Maybe because he’ll say, ‘I play for this big club now,’ but you see, that’s why they say sometimes Sunday (Oliseh) is direct. Where did you play that I did not play? What did you play that I did not play?
“Even though the coach was not a footballer or not as big as you, the fact that they’ve given him that title ‘national team coach’ means you have to respect the position he’s holding.”
Oliseh said he travelled all the way from Belgium to London to meet Mikel, but the then Chelsea star refused to show up, describing this as “one of the biggest insults, but I still did not take it to heart.”
He added, “I still sat down, and Victor Moses had one of the best discussions with him. And the guy told me then and there what he felt was bothering him with the national team. And the funniest part of what the guy told me was things that I also experienced.
“So the man was really speaking the truth, and that’s why I respect Moses to the earth.”