NFF Confirms Oliseh As Keshi’s Successor

The Nigerian Football Federation on
Wednesday confirmed they have an
agreement with former skipper
Sunday Oliseh to replace Stephen
Keshi as Super Eagles coach.
The Nigeria Football Federation
sacked Keshi on Sunday saying he
lacked “the required commitment”
following a row over whether he
applied for the vacant Ivory Coast
manager’s job.
The NFF said on Wednesday it had
an “understanding” with Oliseh to
take over the side and revealed that
the federation’s president, Amaju
Pinnick, met the 40-year-old in
London on Tuesday.
“An offer has been made and there
is understanding but we have to
work out the final details of the
agreement in a few days,” said Felix
Anyansi-Agwu, chairman of the NFF
technical and development
committee.
“Of course, the executive board has
to give approval for his appointment
based on the final terms to be
agreed.”
Oliseh is expected to come up with a
five-year developmental plan to
fashion a unique playing and
coaching philosophy for all the
national teams.
To do so, he will have to liaise with
coaches of all national sides.
Pinnick described Oliseh as having
“vast experience and immense
knowledge of the game” who would
help develop the federation’s aims.
“He has bought into our vision and
objectives towards the development
of Nigeria football,” he added.
“He will command the respect of
the players and we trust he has the
temperament to work harmoniously
with the technical and development
committee, the technical directorate
and the technical study group.
“On our part at the NFF, we will
give him all the support to succeed
as we have been giving to all our
coaches.”
Talks with Oliseh, who is currently a
FIFA-approved coach and runs a
training consultancy, are expected to
finish by the weekend before a
formal unveiling next week, Pinnick
added.
Oliseh was in the Nigeria squad that
won the Africa Cup of Nations in
Tunisia in 1994 and played in the
1994 and 1998 World Cup finals,
when the Super Eagles reached the
Round of 16.
He was also in the Nigeria under-23
side that won Africa’s first Olympic
football gold in Atlanta 19 years ago.
The defensive midfielder played for
Liege, Reggiana, FC Cologne, Ajax,
Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, VFL
Bochum and RC Genk in his
professional career.
He also coached Belgian lower
division club Vervietois between
2008 and 2009.