Oliseh is Pep Guardiola of Africa – Pinnick

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick has described newly appointed Chief Coach of the Super Eagles, Sunday Oliseh as the African version of former FC Barcelona Coach, Pep Guardiola.

Pinnick who spoke at the official presentation of Oliseh to the media as the chief coach of the national also reassured Nigerians that the nation’s football is in good hands given the pedigree of the former national team captain whom he described as the best choice for the team at the moment.

Oliseh and Pinnick

According to him, after series of consultations with football personalities both at FIFA and CAF, the federation settled for Oliseh due largely to the recommendations they were given about his qualities which he added qualified him to have been selected into the prestigious FIFA technical study group.

“Let me tell you that we are just presenting to you the Pep Guardiola of Africa, we are very excited because we know as a federation that Sunday Oliseh will deliver, the federation has been working as a team and we met till about 5 am this morning before going to bed and I believe that after the meeting yesterday members of the technical committee and members of the executive committee did not have any choice but to do what we are doing right now.
“Talking about Sunday Oliseh, I personally have been globe- trotting lately especially within the confine of CAF and FIFA and they have always mentioned to us that ‘if you need glory in football you don’t need to go anywhere else you have it at the back of your house and that is the person of Sunday Oliseh so we are very excited because football has technologically advanced, he has a degree in Economics, he is so very vast when it comes to the game.

On the field he gave Nigeria one of the best brilliant goals ever, on the field I don’t think we have found a replacement for him since he left Nigeria 13 years ago, on the field he was dedicated, he was disciplined and even off the field he is a good father and husband, dynamic and amiable member of the highly revered FIFA Technical Study Group which I know he has traversed the length and breadth of the world acquiring knowledge and giving out knowledge, coaching coaches, teaching teachers, training trainers and today he is experienced both on and off the field.
“Talking to Oliseh last week in London, I just noticed that I was talking to an Arsene Wenger and to a Pep Guardiola because before he said anything, he didn’t talk about individual stardom, he talked team stardom, he talked about team work and when a coach sees the need to redefine his playing pattern you know that he knows what he is talking about” stated Pinnick who also promised to give the coach all that he needed to succeed.

He also pledged on behalf of the NFF to ensure that the terms of the three year contract which was handed out to Oliseh was religiously followed because of the fore knowledge of the fact that Nigerians sleep and dream football.