'They attack these players' - Oliseh accuses NFF of throwing Dessers, Troost-Ekong under the bus

Former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh has hit out at the Nigeria Football Federation and players of the national team for allegedly scapegoating William Troost-Ekong and Cyriel Dessers after the 1-1 draw against South Africa.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Oliseh condemned the lack of unity within the squad, accusing the Federation and players of failing to support their teammates in times of criticism.

"Football is a team sport. From that alone you already know why this Super Eagles is not performing," Oliseh said.

"Your captain scored an own goal while trying to defend. It is as if he took the ball with his hand and put it inside. He was trying to defend and scored an own goal.

"Dessers who was one of the instrumental players that helped us to win three days before they are being criticized after you lost a game. Now they are being criticized."

Oliseh also faulted the silence of Super Eagles players, insisting they should have stood up for their teammates.

"They are shifting the blame away from the management and putting it on the players. They attack these players and the Super Eagles players none of them have said anything.

"So it is as if they even deserved being criticized because they are not standing as a team. They are not backing their leaders. This is what destroyed the Super Eagles in 2002."

The 1994 AFCON winner recalled how internal disunity cost Nigeria a place at the 2006 World Cup.

"Look when they did it in 2002, have we all forgotten that the punishment we got was that in 2006 we didn't qualify.

"It became the first time that Nigeria did not qualify for the World Cup in almost 20 years. And that's when the national team started degrading."

Oliseh further alleged that some of the current players have gone nearly 30 games without receiving their match bonuses, yet continue to endure public criticism.

"So the point I am trying to make out here is that when a member of your team is challenged they are shifting the blame on you now, that is because of you guys Nigeria is not going to the next World Cup and it has been revealed that for almost thirty games, true or false, half of it, complete or not, the players have not been paid match bonuses.

"So you have not been paid match bonuses and you're being criticized and you don't have enough gut to come out and make your own clear in this modern age of social media where you don't need the mainstream media to put your own opinions out there."

Following the result, the Super Eagles now face the risk of missing out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

Adeyemi Adewale

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