Nigeria are used to sacking managers and—after extensive searches—replacing them with obscure foreigners or underwhelming local appointments.
This time, when Stephen Keshi’s replacement was sought, Amaju Pinnick acted quickly, identifying his man, making an approach, arranging a meeting, and securing a deal.
The usual suspects—Samson Siasia and Daniel Amokachi—were eschewed, as the NFF chief appointed Sunday Oliseh.
The former defensive midfielder brings that rare combination of familiarity and freshness, it isn’t easy to find. Both Siasia and Amokachi have connections with a failed past, while many Nigerians would have been concerned with a foreigner being recruited from abroad, with little guarantee that the new man would take to his new surroundings and adapt to the demanding context of the Nigerian game.
Yet while Oliseh is a known quantity to the Super Eagles fans—he won over a half-century of caps with the national side and represented the nation at two World Cups—he is not a stale character.
Beyond the vitality that he should bring—both because of his youth and the fact that he is not tarnished by any previous failings—the new man ought to also bring modern coaching methods and a reinvigorated approach to managing the national side.
He should have the respect of the players due to his standing in the Nigerian pantheon of greats, although it’s reasonable to have concerns about his lack of experience—not least at the level of the continental giants.
Certainly, there has been a mixed response to Oliseh’s arrival, with Super Eagles fans taking to social media to give their two cents on Pinnick’s choice for Keshi’s successor.
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