Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, has come under heavy criticism for describing his critics as “insane” following his team’s first round exit at the African Nations Championship in Rwanda.
Oliseh, who is well-known for his outspoken nature, described the CHAN tournament as “least important tournament that is held by CAF” and wondered why he is being blamed for the country’s fortune.
“Now it’s the time to attack,” declared Oliseh in a YouTube clip.
“The usual critics have brought out their fangs again. I’m addressing this constant insanity; this is madness, that has befallen some of our critics.
“You must be insane to ask questions on the future of the Super Eagles because we lost CHAN.”
The 41-year-old, a former international, took the rant a bit further by attacking his former colleagues.
Oliseh said most of his ex-teammates criticising him right now were benchwarmers during their playing days and shouldn’t be taken seriously.
“What is unfortunate is that my ex-colleagues are the most critical. When we played they were mostly sitting on the bench and talking.
“They were not the real actors who made Super Eagles what they were then. They are still doing the same thing, sitting down and talking,” he alleged.
“If you think you are better, go for a coaching course, or start coaching and show what you can do.”
Austin Eguavoen, a close ally of Oliseh during their playing days pleaded with Nigerians to forgive the coach.
He likened Oliseh to former Chelsea coach, Jose Mourinho, who was always in the news despite his club’s poor form.
“It will be very difficult for me to advice Oliseh to talk less because he is the one in charge and should know how to go about his job. He has his own style and I know that everybody must not keep quite.
“Mourinho was still talking even when Chelsea was not doing well. There are people you cannot stop from talking. If we cannot change Mourinho, we cannot change Oliseh.”
Others took to Twitter to vent their anger on Oliseh.
Sunday Oliseh is obviously tired of coaching the Nigerian team but as a typical Nigerian, he will not go until he is disgraced.
— Mr Kermit (@O_ssai) February 8, 2016
Sunday Oliseh is immature and still exactly the same person he was as a footballer . Ejiro Omonode told him in Belgium to be more matured .
— OMA AKATUGBA (@Omaakatugba) February 8, 2016
Sunday Oliseh has issues…, suddenly he’s pulling a timaya “the critics, the bad people”. Why r u uploading videos? Call a press conference
— Wale Gates (@walegates) February 8, 2016
The Big Isssue: Sunday Oliseh, When a butterfly thinks himself a bird https://t.co/500cymkBRV
— Abiola Kazeem (@biolakazeem) February 8, 2016
What’s wrong with Sunday Oliseh? He’s made a few mistakes as coach, but this was the daftest of them.
— Akin (@AO1379) February 8, 2016
“@emma_dele: When would Sunday Oliseh grow up and drop his irritating pettiness, delusional arrogance and resultant mouth disease?”
— #BringBackOurGirls (@Nedunaija) February 8, 2016
