In the latest episode of his ObiOne podcast titled “Taking the Mikel: Sunday Oliseh, look away now!” former Super Eagles and Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi openly criticized Sunday Oliseh, labeling him as “the worst manager ever.” Mikel didn’t hold back as he shared his disappointing experiences during Oliseh’s coaching tenure.
The AFCON 2013 winner disclosed that the issues with Oliseh began on the first day of the camp when the coach confronted team leaders. Mikel recounted the incident, stating, “He came straight at me and Vincent Enyeama, the goalkeeper, who also held significant influence back then.
He accused us of having too much player power. Enyeama stood up, telling him that he couldn’t say that after we had been here for so many years. They started arguing, and it almost escalated into a physical altercation. Oliseh subsequently removed Enyeama from the team and threatened to exclude us as well.”
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The clash led to Enyeama’s sudden departure from the camp, leaving Mikel puzzled. Critiquing Oliseh’s coaching style, Mikel lambasted the coach’s lack of managerial skills, stating, “He had no idea how to be a manager. While he was a fantastic player in his heyday, as a coach, he was utterly terrible.
The players couldn’t comprehend his strategies, and he seemed lost. He came in and disrupted the team unity without a clear plan.”
Mikel also highlighted Oliseh’s bitterness and disrespect towards others within the team. Despite Oliseh’s brief eight-month tenure as Super Eagles manager from 2015 to 2016, he recently served on the FIFA technical committee for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Mikel’s candid revelations provide insights into the challenging dynamics within the team during Oliseh’s coaching era.