Embattled Nigeria’s Super Eagles Chief Coach, Sunday Oliseh, has declared that he won’t just seat down and allow some people to condemn him because his team crashed out early at the Rwanda 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN), describing his critics as insane.
Nigerians expected the home-based Eagles, who were seen as pre-tournament favourites, to surpass the bronze medal outing of the last CHAN held in South Africa under Stephen Keshi.
They believed the Eagles had what it takes to even win the competition with the way they played their first group match against Niger at the Rwanda 2016.
But they were so surprised that the team, who beat Niger in their first match, struggled to play a 1-1 draw against Tunisia and eventually crashed out when they were defeated by Guinea by 1-0 in their last group match.
After the CHAN disgraceful outing, some Nigerians questioned the technical capabilities of Oliseh to lead the Super Eagles. Some even called for his immediate sack.
In an interview on Brila FM, a Lagos-based radio station, on Sunday, Oliseh called his critics ‘insane’.
He turned around to question the rationale behind the call from some quarters for his sack.
He said coaching a team and losing just two in 14 games is by no standard a disaster and also played down the importance of CHAN.
“I am addressing this insanity that has befallen some of our critics, and I call it insanity because you must be insane to start seeking a plebiscite on the future of the national team’s coach of Nigeria because we lost CHAN.
“With all due respect, CHAN is probably the least important tournament that is held by CAF and it is a tournament that weighs more on the strength of the leagues against one another; you can see how far Congo have gone and how TP Mazembe did in the African Champions League.
“What then should be done to the Coaches of Ghana, South Africa and Egypt who did not even qualify to this tournament,” Oliseh rhetorically asked his critics.
To those who care to listen, the 41-year-old insists the current Eagles coaching crew have done well, keeping the team in contention for the Gabon 2017 Africa Cup of Nations and 2018 World Cup.
“A contract is made out; We signed a contract; myself and the NFF. If you’re not happy about it, we’ll come and we’ll shake hands.
“But I’ll like to remind you that this is the 14th game I have been in charge of the Super Eagles and we’ve lost only two; and only one official game.
“We’re still on track to qualify for the Nations Cup. We have qualified into the group stage for the World Cup, so where is this failure that some of our critics are trying to sell to Nigerians?
“Unless you mean that for Coach Sunday Oliseh and his crew to be successful they must win every match, Jesus Christ! even the world Champions Germany are not doing that – let alone we that are a brand new team that we’ve just started building just for some months now,” he said.
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