Oliseh Must Learn To Tolerate Youthful Exuberance

FOR the Super Eagles head coach, Sunday Oliseh, to succeed during his tenure, he ought to learn how to manage his wards properly, bearing in mind that they are youths capable of exhibiting youthful exuberance.


The advice was given by a one-time Confederation of African Football (CAF) and world football governing body, FIFA executive committees member, Dr Amos Adamu while speaking with sports journalists in Abuja.

Coming on the heels of the recent altercations between Oliseh and most-capped Nigerian footballer, Vincent Enyeama in Belgium leading to the former Eagles goalkeeper’s retirement from international football, Adamu declared that Oliseh should learn to thread softly with his players to enable him to achieve the desired results.

According to the former Director-General, National Sports Commission (NSC), the Eagles were rich youths who were capable of exhibiting exuberance and out of field aggressiveness and as such, Oliseh ought to realise this and learn how to deal with them with a view to bringing out the best in them.
“The coach [Oliseh] should realise that he is dealing with youths who are rich. He cannot rule out youthful exuberance and aggressiveness, which in most cases is good for the game.
“I love to see the aggressiveness in players because if they take that to the field, it always give a good result,” Adamu said.


The coach and the NFF should know how to handle these boys, so that they can get the best out of them,” Adamu, who was the Sole Administrator of the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA) when Nigeria qualified for its first ever World Cup appearance at the USA ‘94, said.
Commenting on the code of conduct being introduced by the Amaju Pinnick-led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Adamu noted that there was nothing wrong in introducing a set of guidelines guiding players conduct while in national camp.


“There is nothing wrong with the code of conduct. It is just a way that people should behave while in the national camp. You know that in any land that there is no law, people misbehaves. I think that is not out of place. I also feel it should be for the players and their officials,” he said.
Meanwhile, the former West Africa Football Union (WAFU) boss has declared his support for any Nigerian vying for the FIFA Presidency, saying that as things were going many candidates might be disqualified, leaving few candidates to vie for the top job.
He, however, urged the NFF not to disqualify any of the two Nigerians who had indicated their interest in the FIFA top seat, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu and Chief Segun Odegbami (MON), saying the country’s football body should be cautious in its eligibility clause.


“The way things are going, it may get to a situation where after various people have been disqualified, the remaining would be some unknown people whose countries may not be major football playing nations compare to Nigeria that have won various FIFA trophies. So, if our person is there, anything can happen at the end of the day,” he noted.
Tribune.