Former Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh has slammed former Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel.
He recalled how the ex-Chelsea star allegedly snubbed a meeting he arranged in London during his tenure as Nigeria’s national team coach.
Oliseh, who spoke in a podcast video circulating on X, revealed that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had warned him against inviting Mikel, former goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, and striker Emmanuel Emenike when he took charge of the Super Eagles.
The federation reportedly described the trio as disruptive to the team’s system.
The former Nigerian international, however, said he ignored the warning and made efforts to meet Mikel and former Super Eagles winger Victor Moses in London to discuss matters concerning the national team.
According to Oliseh, he travelled from Belgium to the United Kingdom with his assistant coach and personally funded the trip to arrange the meeting.
While Moses honoured the invitation, Mikel allegedly failed to show up and did not respond to his WhatsApp message.
Oliseh suggested that Mikel’s decision might have been influenced by his status as a player at a major European club, insisting that playing for a prominent team did not justify disrespecting the national team coach.
“Where did you play that I did not play? What did you play that I did not play?” Oliseh said, challenging the former Chelsea midfielder’s perceived attitude towards him.
The former Borussia Dortmund and Juventus midfielder added that players must respect the office of the national team coach, regardless of the coach’s playing career or personal achievements.
Oliseh described the incident as one of the biggest insults he experienced during his time in charge of the Super Eagles, although he maintained that he did not take it personally.
He also praised Victor Moses for attending the meeting, explaining that their discussion was productive and that the winger openly shared his concerns about the Nigerian national team setup.
Oliseh said Moses’ willingness to engage in the conversation earned him considerable respect, particularly because some of the issues the winger raised were similar to those the former coach had experienced himself.
