Oliseh not tested for Eagles job-westerhof

…as Erico backs him to succeed

Former Nigeria technical adviser Clemens Westerhof thinks the Nigeria Football Federation is making a huge mistake by handing untested Sunday Oliseh the job of the national team manager.

Oliseh, 40, was handed his Super Eagles debut by Westerhof in 1993 and the Dutchman feels that his former protégé has not gotten the requisite experience to handle such a difficult side with lots of egotistic players.

The former Borussia Dortmund and Ajax midfielder has only ever managed a third division Belgian side Vervietois as well as worked as TV pundit and a member of the Fifa Technical Study Group for the 2014 World Cup.

“No, no, no, no that cannot be, he can’t be Super Eagles coach. Oliseh cannot do it, no, he can’t,” Westerhof was animated as he told Complete Sports.

“If the Nigeria Football Federation is bringing Oliseh to handle the Super Eagles, then that is too bad because it is not right. It is not proper; he is not the right man for the job.”

The 75-year-old, who led the Super Eagles to their second African title in 1994, then reeled off the work experience he and recently sacked Stephen Keshi earned before being handed the Nigeria top job.

“Where did Oliseh coach? What is his coaching experience? Do you want to start learning how to coach with the senior national team,” he asked.

Westerhof also detailed the kind of problems likely to be faced by the new coach in the face of player egos.

“Coaching amateur teams is not enough to get experience of handling top teams like the Super Eagles. Players cannot respect him, you know, he cannot command their respect and influence as they loved and respected me, as they also respected and loved Keshi,” he said.

Meanwhile, former Super Eagles Assistant Coach Joe Erico has declared that the success or failure of Sunday Oliseh will depend on the game plan of Nigeria Football Federation. The Glass House according to him lacks the ability to identify potentials in a coach and often toe lines that run in opposite direction with that of the coach.

On insinuations in some quarters that Oliseh may go on a collision course with the NFF because of his preserved temperamental nature, Erico said it would be wrong to judge the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder by past conduct as a player noting that a lot of water has since past through the bridge .

"I think it will be better to wait and see how it goes. Whether he succeeds or not depends on the NFF. The administrators don’t recognize value and cannot identify a good material when they see one which explains why they often sail in different directions with the coaches. So if they want him to succeed he will," he said

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