Sunday Oliseh has emphasized that Nigeria’s success at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco will depend heavily on the head coach and team captain.
Oliseh highlighted two critical factors: a head coach who is “stubborn” enough to resist external interference and a captain capable of providing genuine leadership from within the squad.
The former Nigeria head coach insisted that the current technical crew must demonstrate strong personality in both team selection and tactical decisions.
“The first thing the manager has to do is grow a little bit stubborn,” Oliseh said. “It is no secret that people from outside will try to influence who plays and who doesn’t play. He has to stand his ground and show personality. He is responsible. Make your team and decide who’s going to play.”
Oliseh pointed to Nigeria’s recent fixture against DR Congo as evidence that tactical discipline is urgently needed.
“Our game was too loose and too open. They ran rings around us. There is nothing wrong with adopting a more compact style of play.”
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The former Nigerian midfielder also stressed that true leadership must come from the players themselves, not be imposed through fear or popularity.
He singled out Beşiktaş midfielder Wilfred Ndidi for praise, noting the player’s growing influence in the dressing room.
“At the moment, I think nobody doubts the respect the players have for Ndidi,” Oliseh said. “He’s a player who plays every game. He captained the last match. I’m not trying to push for who should be captain, but I think Ndidi is already the captain.”
Drawing from his own experience alongside the late Stephen Keshi, Oliseh described the type of captaincy the Super Eagles need.
“Don’t wait for the NFF to start calling players to come to camp,” he explained. “You, as captain, call the players privately and let them know: ‘I’m getting to camp. I’ve already arranged with my club. Make sure you are there so that on the first day we can have our first training session as a group.’”
With AFCON scheduled to kick off in Morocco later this month, the Super Eagles will be aiming for a fourth continental title and their first since 2013.
Nigeria will begin their campaign in Group C alongside Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania on December 23.
