The Nigerian football boss took offence at the former midfielder’s comments suggesting that his elevation to the FIFA Executive Council was more for personal than national glory
President of the Nigeria Football Federation Amaju Pinnick has tagged former Super Eagles head coach Sunday Oliseh as selfish and ungrateful, following the latter’s comments on Pinnick’s new role at FIFA.
Pinnick and Oliseh enjoyed an excellent relationship a few years ago when Pinnick appointed the former Juventus midfielder the Super Eagles manager shortly after assuming his role as the NFF chief.
But barely eight months later, Oliseh resigned his position after alleging that his bosses had violated his contract, showed him no support, and owed him, his assistant, and players unpaid wages and benefits.
Rohr then shunned his Nigerian project and instead named Franco-German tactician Gernot Rohr as the national team’s handler later in 2016.
Traces of the ill-feeling generated by that development was evident when Oliseh, speaking on an online platform a few days ago, said that Pinnick’s emergence as a FIFA Council member is a good achievement for the NFF president and not Nigeria.
Hurt by that attack from a former associate, Pinnick has hit Oliseh back below the belt, insisting that the 1994 Afcon winner missed a great chance to leave a more significant legacy with the Super Eagles.
“It shows that he only thinks of himself and does not bother how to contribute to the development of Nigerian football,” Pinnick told the Guardian.
“How can an ex-Super Eagles player and coach of the national team be so selfish.
“I don’t want to join issues with Oliseh because I have a lot to do for our football at the moment. But it is good I let him realise that he is an ungrateful fellow.
“I gave Oliseh Super Eagles coaching job and gave him all the support he needed to succeed even when many people were against it. He failed to make good use of the opportunity. He is ungrateful.”
As head coach, ex-Ajax star Oliseh led the Super Eagles to only two losses in 14 games and was, at the time, tagged the ‘African Guardiola’ by Pinnick.
