Sunday Oliseh Sends Strong Message to Nigerians Over World Cup Playoff Celebrations
- Sunday Oliseh has urged Nigerians to set higher standards for the Super Eagles despite the team’s play-off qualification
- The former Super Eagles captain says many fans have forgotten Nigeria’s golden football era, where they dominated Africa
- Nigeria sneaked into the World Cup play-offs after hammering Benin Republic 4-0 on the final day of the qualifiers
Former Super Eagles captain, Sunday Oliseh, has urged Nigerians to calm their celebrations after Nigeria secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-offs.
The emphatic 4-0 win over Benin Republic reignited hope that the three-time African champions could still qualify for the World Cup, but the former Juventus and Borussia Dortmund midfielder believes the country should not mistake progress for success.
Source: Getty Images
Speaking in an interview published by BSNSports.com.ng, Oliseh expressed concern about the widespread celebrations that followed the win, insisting that the Super Eagles must demand more from themselves.
“We cannot be celebrating mediocrity. With due respect, we should be picking the World Cup ticket outright. It's important we look at the situation on ground critically.”
Oliseh’s statement reflects growing debate among fans about whether Nigeria’s footballing standards have dropped compared to past generations.
A generation that never saw greatness
Oliseh believes younger fans’ excitement comes from a lack of reference to Nigeria’s former dominance in African football.
“Anyone under the age of 30 has never truly witnessed the golden era of Nigerian football. What they know is the recent trend, struggling to win matches and scraping through qualifiers. It’s crazy.”
The former Super Eagles captain recalled Nigeria’s commanding performances in the late 1990s and early 2000s, referencing their 4-0 victory against South Africa in their first-ever encounter.
Still, Oliseh admitted that Nigeria’s convincing win over Benin brought a sense of relief to supporters after months of poor results, which is what may have prompted the wild celebrations.
Nigeria’s next big test
Nigeria’s 4-0 win over Benin Republic, powered by a hat-trick from Victor Osimhen and a goal from Frank Onyeka, secured the Super Eagles’ place among Africa’s top runners-up.
Source: Getty Images
The result ensures that the Super Eagles will battle Gabon, DR Congo, and Cameroon in the CAF mini-tournament play-offs, BBC reports.
Nigeria has been paired to face Gabon in the African play-off semi-final, and the winner of the encounter will meet either Cameroon or DR Congo in the final three days later.
As seen on FIFA's official website, the winner of the CAF mini-tournament play-offs will get a ticket to the Intercontinental Play-off in 2025.
The playoff will feature six teams, two from CONCACAF, and one each from CAF, AFC, CONMEBOL, and OFC, with two final World Cup spots up for grabs.
Oliseh sends serious warning to Chelle
In another development, Legit.ng reported that Oliseh has sent a warning to Super Eagles head coach on the importance of choosing his best XI in the World Cup playoffs.
According to Oliseh, should Nigeria wants to qualify for the World Cup, Chelle has to use only the most in-form players and not compromise his line-up based on sentiments.
Source: Legit.ng
