Starting lineup of the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Sunday Oliseh. [Photo Credit/ Imago].
Former Super Eagles and Borussia Dortmund midfielder Sunday Oliseh has revealed why Nigeria may not qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 51-year-old captained Nigeria at the 2002 African Cup of Nations tournament and helped the team come from behind to qualify for the World Cup in the same year.
However, the ex-Juventus man missed the Mundial showdown in South Korea/Japan of the same year as he was omitted from the World Cup squad for disciplinary reasons.
In his place, the legendary Jay-Jay Okocha captained Nigeria at the tournament while Oliseh announced his retirement from the team. Then 28, he demanded that the unpaid allowances and dues owed be paid.
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Festus Onigbinde was placed in charge of the Nigerian team for the World Cup tournament, although the late Shuaibu Amodu, Joe Erico and Stephen Keshi were the core trio of the coaching team that helped Nigeria qualify after they were five points behind Liberia in the qualification process.
Finidi George and Sunday Oliseh’s omission forced Okocha to speak up about the team’s imbalance. Nigeria were eliminated in the group stage, earning a point without scoring a goal.
“It’s unlucky for them because they are good players. You have to respect the decision of the coach, but my opinion is that they both should have been included in the squad,” the then PSG midfielder said in quotes revealed by The Guardian.
Super Eagles broke in 2002 – Oliseh
After the Football Federation opted to sideline the good work Joe Erico, Stephen Keshi and Shuaibu Amodu had done in getting Nigeria to the 2002 World Cup, Oliseh revealed Erico laid out a curse on the team, which might still be in effect today.
“Coach Erico made it very clear before his death that what they did to us in 2002, he sat down in his room naked and he cursed Nigeria,” the ex-Ajax man said on the Bet9ja podcast.
“He’s a great guy, great human being, lovely guy. He came, took over the team. Erico, Keshi and Shuaibu Amodu.
“Keshi was still finding his feet as a coach, and he invested so much. He always called me into his room and made me aware of his plans to make sure Nigeria qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
“We were five points behind Liberia in the qualifiers, just like what’s happening currently. Everyone had written us off, but when they took over, we became united.
“Keshi phoned me from the United States while I organised the players, and gradually, we built ourselves.”
The former VfL Bochum defensive midfielder also praised other teammates for stepping up their game during that time.
“Players like Aghali, Yakubu raised their game. Yakubu went to Sudan, a game I didn’t attend because of a neck injury, but he went there and scored two goals.
“How can a manager work things out this way, and when it’s time for the World Cup, he was dropped?
“They even went with players who didn’t play in the qualifiers, and now they say it’s my fault. Some even said we insulted a minister.
“They did all that and destroyed the team. I personally feel that was when the Super Eagles got destroyed,” the 51-year-old concluded.
Oliseh has never been a fan of handing the Super Eagles coaching role to foreign coaches, and his comments portray the breakdown of trust and unity during his time as the captain of Nigeria.
Whether or not the Super Eagles have not qualified because of Erico’s curse cannot be proven. However, they have to finish the job on Tuesday against the Republic of Benin if they’re to stand a chance of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.