National Teams
“He needs help” — Sunday Oliseh responds to John Obi Mikel’s criticism
By Monsurah Olatunji
Former Nigeria captain and head coach, Sunday Oliseh, has responded to criticism from Mikel Obi, who recently labeled Oliseh as the worst coach he ever played under.
Oliseh’s tenure as Super Eagles coach began in July 2015 and lasted eight months, marked by numerous controversies. Early in his appointment, he had a notable fallout with legendary goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, leading to Enyeama’s retirement.
Obi Mikel, in his ObiOne podcast, reflected on that period and criticized Oliseh’s managerial skills.
“He (Oliseh) had absolutely no clue of how a manager is. He was easily the worst manager I played under,” Mikel said.
In a recent interview with Elegbete TV, where an excerpt of Mikel’s statement was presented to him, Oliseh responded by accusing Mikel of being petulant and struggling with his transition into life after football.
“To be honest with you, I think the kid needs some help,” Oliseh responded.
To defend his coaching credentials, Oliseh highlighted an award he received during his tenure as the manager of Fortuna Sittard in the Dutch Jupiler Pro League.
“There’s something I’ve not really shown much, I won the best coach for the first period of the Jupiler League, which is in the Dutch league. That was not voted by the press, that was voted by the players and the coaches of the league.
“I’m the only, and the first coloured man from Sub-Saharan Africa to ever win this title with a club like Fortuna Sittard, who had very average players and were able to qualify from the second division from last position to the first division, where they still are now.
“I don’t need to justify myself being a good coach or anything to the kid. I call him (Mikel) a kid because my son is 27 years old.
“When he made this statement, I heard about it, but I couldn’t go on television and start arguing with someone like him. It’s degrading at a coach, you don’t go into the media and start arguing with your player.
“But I would like to help the boy because I think he needs some help. You cannot become a legend with your mouth.
“You cannot achieve what you were not able to achieve on the pitch outside the pitch by talking on a podcast.”
Oliseh’s response underscores his view of Mikel’s comments as unprofessional and reflective of a broader struggle with post-career adjustment.
