Oliseh, however, hailed ex-Super Eagles winger Victor Moses for honouring his invitation when he was the Nigeria coach.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Former Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh has revisited an incident between him and former Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel, slamming the ex-Chelsea star for snubbing him when he was in charge of the Nigerian national team.
The 52-year-old Nigerian tactician expressed his disgust recently while speaking in a podcast video that is currently trending on X.
Oliseh recalled that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had warned him against inviting John Obi Mikel, Vincent Enyeama, and Emmanuel Emenike to the national team when he took over, because, according to the football governing body, they were “chaotic”.
He, however, ignored the advice and invited Obi Mikel and Victor Moses for a meeting in London as the national team coach, but Mikel refused to show up.
He went on to attribute Mikel Obi’s behaviour to feeling he was bigger than him (Oliseh) because he was playing for a big club, and regretted not heeding the warning from the NFF.
While insisting that the former Blues player did not have a better career than him, he added that “even though the coach was not a footballer”, players must still respect him because he is the “national team coach”.
Speaking in the viral clip, Oliseh said: “I regret not having listened to the NFF. Because when I took over the job, the first thing the 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’s money, I went to the UK, sent a message to the clubs, sent a message to him (Mikel), sent a message not only to him but also to Victor Moses, and gave them an appointment at a bar that was accessible in the heart of London, with my assistant coach, for the two of them to come and have a 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.”
According to Oliseh, the decision by Mikel not to show up or reply to his text message despite him travelling all the way from Belgium to London was “one of the biggest insults” he has received, but he added that he “still did not take it to heart.”
The former Juventus midfielder continued: “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.”
