Oliseh tricked us - NFF

PAINED and incensed by the sudden and dramatic resignation of Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation yesterday said that it bore no grudges against the former Eagles captain, who it subtly accused of tricking the football-governing body into paying his salaries only to jump ship with less than a month to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier with Egypt in Kaduna.

 Less than 24 hours after the former Dortmund and Juventus midfielder, dubbed the Pep Guardiola of Africa by NFF supremo, Amaju Pinnick, threw eggshells on the occupiers of the Glass House in Abuja, the NFF, responding in a 25 paragraph statement from its Communications Director, Ademola Olajire said that it gave Oliseh all the support and enabling environment to succeed. It also discountenanced statements credited to Oliseh that the football-ruling house was setting booby traps for him to fail and thereafter sacked him like other Nigerian coaches including Stephen Keshi and Shaibu Amodu.

Commenting on Oliseh’s accusation of non-payment of salaries and allowances to him and his assistant coaches, the NFF said: we find it strange though that, after complaints of non -payment, Mr Oliseh waited to receive monies owed him before resigning.

 Two days before his resignation, he had passionately appealed that we unite as one force to fight the battle on the football field with the Egyptian national team. We had no idea he was selling a dummy. “For the avoidance of doubt, Mr. Sunday Oliseh RESIGNED and was not SACKED. We bear no grudges against the coach and wish him well in his future endeavours”

The NFF also said it would not allow Oliseh’s tirades derail it from ensuring that the Eagles acquit themselves well in the looming AFCON 2017 qualifier with Egypt in Kaduna.

“We have now moved swiftly beyond the issue of the resignation of Coach Oliseh and like responsible business -minded administrators, we are now thinking about the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with the immediate business being the hosting of the Egyptian national team in Kaduna and playing them in Egypt towards the end of next month (March).”