FORMER Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Clemens Westerhof, says the
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is committing a blunder by offering an
untested Sunday Oliseh the job to coach the senior national team.
Oliseh, 40, was handed his Super Eagles debut by Westerhof in 1993
and the Dutchman feels that his former protégé has not gotten the
requisite experience to handle such a difficult side with lots of
egotistic players.
The former Borussia Dortmund and Ajax midfielder has only ever
managed a third division Belgian side Vervietois as well as worked as TV
pundit and a member of the Fifa Technical Study Group for the 2014
World Cup.
“No, no, no, no that cannot be, he can’t be Super Eagles coach.
Oliseh cannot do it, no, he can’t,” Westerhof was animated as he said.
“If the Nigeria Football Federation is bringing Oliseh to handle the
Super Eagles, then that is too bad because it is not right. It is not
proper, he is not the right man for the job.”
The 75-year-old, who led the Super Eagles to their second African
title in 1994, then reeled off the work experience he and recently
sacked Stephen Keshi earned before being handed the Nigeria top job.
“Before I took over the Super Eagles in 1989, I was head coach of
Feyenoord and we were champions after many years. I coached other top
teams in the first division, Vitesse, MVV and came back to Vitesse
again.
“Keshi was a top quality player in Belgium with Lokeren, Anderlecht,
RC Strasbourg in France, Sacramento Scorpions and all that. He coached
several other teams including Togo and Mali.
“Where did Oliseh coach? What is his coaching experience? Do you want
to start learning how to coach with the senior national team,” he
asked.
Westerhof also detailed the kind of problems likely to be faced by the new coach in the face of player egos.
“Coaching amateur teams is not enough to get experience of handling top teams like the Super Eagles.”
Players cannot respect him, you know, he cannot command their respect
and influence as they loved and respected me, as they also respected
and loved Keshi,” he said.
“What the players of the Super Eagles need is a coach who the players
will love to respect, who has positive influence on the players and I
don’t think Oliseh has these qualities,” Westerhof said.
Oliseh is expected to be unveiled on Tuesday in Abuja with a
five-year contract that would see him set about bringing a blueprint for
the development of Nigerian football.
Source: The Guardian
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