Nigeria don’t have world class players, says Oliseh

In from Nifemi Daniel …

Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, has revealed that Nigeria don’t have world class players in top leagues in the world which he described as his biggest challenge the team is facing.

Speaking with FIFA.com on Thursday, the 40-year-old admitted that even though he finally felt ready for the job, he hesitated to accept the challenging offer.

“To coach Nigeria is not the easiest job in the world and one is only as good as the players. Nigeria at the moment has a lot of potential, but we don’t have a lot of confirmed players in the top clubs in the top leagues, so taking over the national team now means we have to remake the whole team and introduce a new philosophy of playing style, of culture and mentality. That is very difficult to do when you are the national team coach because you have very limited time with the players unlike when you coach a club. So that is why I was very hesitant.”

Oliseh, who played for a number of well-known clubs in Europe including UEFA Champions League winners Ajax Amsterdam, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund, said that the road to the Russia 2018 World Cup will be tough as the Super Eagles face the winners of the first round match between Djibouti and Swaziland for a place in the group phase.

Read also: Oliseh gives criteria for Eagles invite

“It is going to be very, very difficult, but I believe we can qualify. All we have to do is look at ourselves, try to improve our game and hopefully we will qualify.”

The coach, who has signed a three-year contract and will continue to live in Belgium but travel to Nigeria as often as is necessary, reiterated that he was embarking on a difficult path. “We are practically starting from scratch, so that is why I am saying that people should not expect miracles from us.”

“We all have dreams, and I am hoping I will be as successful as I can be. But one has to be realistic also. We have just started, and our first step is to hopefully just win the [AFCON qualifier] against Tanzania. That is what I am praying for. Game by game.”

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