Sunday
Oliseh has lashed out at Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi for responding harshly to
his criticism of home-based players.
Oliseh had
criticized Keshi for taking as much as eight home-based players to the FIFA Confederations Cup, and accused him of being too reliant on the Glo Premier
League stars.
But Keshi
in responding to Oliseh’s criticism described the former Borrusia Dortmund
maestro’s claims as shameful since he was once a home-based player.
”It is a
shame that Sunday Oliseh could say a thing like that. He was a nobody when he
came to the national team.
He started
from home too, when he came to the national team, I took him as a younger
brother. I later (as an assistant coach to Amodu Shuabu) made him captain and
he became a super star. Who knows what these boys could become in future?”
Oliseh has
however responded to Keshi by debunking claims that he started out as a
home-based player, while accusing the Super Eagles coach of seeing enemies
everywhere and urged him to get used to constructive criticism.
“Nigeria
is bigger than anyone and for the records sake in answer to Keshi’s erroneous
declaration, I was 3 years as a pro in Belgium and a regular player in liege by
1993 when I got my first call-up to the super Eagles and in those days our
national league was on ‘fire’, well organised, competitive, balanced and one of
the best in Africa. That’s how Clemence Westerhoff and Bonfrere Jo succeeded!”
Oliseh declared on his website.
“It is
unfortunate that Keshi sees enemies everywhere and maybe it is understandable
but the interest of Nigeria’s progress is what we all should be seeking now and
I believe making attacks like he is doing is not the right way to go about it,
we are way too matured for that, at least I know I am!”
“If he can
accept our support and praise, he should accept our constructive criticism in
the interest of the country and making enemies left and right is not the way to
go, obviously some of us do not learn from the past! The interest of Nigeria
comes first than that of Sunday Oliseh or Stephen Keshi” he said.
Oliseh
went further to dispel insinuations in some quarters that he had an eye on
Keshi’s job.
“I can
understand that Keshi feels threatened by the possibility of a sack and back
stabbing, but my comments should not be seen as coming from a possible
successor unless one is desperate, which I thank God I am not!”
Oliseh
further made a case for the foreign-based players stating that they ate the
best Nigeria has. He further accused Keshi of trying to wage a war against
them.
“If you
are a Foreign based pro it is not because these foreign clubs want to do you a
favour, it is because you are one of the best from your country, simple. By
gradually trying to wage a war against these players who ply their trade week
in week out at the highest level leagues in the world we are turning our back
to our best and waging a war against ourselves, they are Nigerians too I must
remind.”
He however
moved to clarify his position on the home-based players, insisting that he is
not against their inclusion in the national team, but feels they will fare
better when surrounded by more experienced foreign-based players.
“My belief
is not that we should not use home-based players, far from it, if Sunday Mba
was not at the Nations Cup in 2013 for Nigeria I do not think we might have won
it, at least like we did. He however was well surrounded by Victor Moses,
Emmanuel Emeneke etc. and made his contributions productive and easier.
“We saw
how this poor boy struggled at the Confed Cup just 4 months after doing us
proud in South Africa! Oboabona is one of my favourites and with some more
polishing would go places internationally,” he added.
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