By Editor
Former Super Eagles captain and coach Sunday Oliseh has expressed disappointment that Bayern Munich attacker Michael Olise chose France over Nigeria.
Olise was eligible to represent Nigeria through his father, England by birth, and Algeria through his mother’s heritage, but he settled for France.
Olise has represented France at U18, U21, U23, and senior levels.
The Nigeria Football Federation did try to get Olise to play for the Super Eagles, but he turned down the offer.
He was named by former Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr in the squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin and Lesotho, but did not feature in either match and also skipped a planned meeting with former NFF president Amaju Pinnick in London ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
“When I see Olise play, he gets me so angry. I’m just saying this guy should not be wearing the French national team jersey; he should be wearing the green-white-green of Nigeria,” Oliseh said on Global Football Insights with Oliseh.
“This is why our people are funny. Some even sent messages asking why I sabotaged us – your son went to play for France. He’s not my son, and his own Olise does not even have an ‘h’ at the end of it.”
Despite his disappointment over Olise’s national team choice, the former Nigeria coach believes Bayern Munich’s young player is one of the best players across the leagues.
“And he’s so good. I have a confession to make. When he was doing great at Crystal Palace, I was saying to myself, ‘This guy is good, but maybe he’s missing something.
“But when I see him now at Bayern, I say to myself, ‘This guy one day might also contest for the Ballon d’Or because he is so good’.
“Now you are seeing defenders feeling helpless against him; they even foul him and insult him to provoke him, and he’s a quiet person.”
Extrasportnigeria 
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