Sunday Oliseh: "Nigeria has not had a player of Osimhen's caliber since Yekini"

Text by: David Kalfa Follow

Sunday Oliseh is a former midfielder emblematic of the great Nigerian national team of the 1990s. He was also the coach in 2015-2016 of the "Super Eagles". At the time, Victor Osimhen had already caught his eye. Today, for RFI, the former resident of Ajax Amsterdam, Juventus Turin and Borussia Dortmund says all the good he thinks about the Prix Marc-Vivien Foé 2020.

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RFI: Sunday Oliseh, Victor Osimhen is the winner of the Prix Marc-Vivien Foé 2020 which rewards the best African player in the French Championship. Are you surprised that it is ahead of more experienced players like the Algerian Islam Slimani (2nd), the Moroccan Yunis Abdelhamid (3rd) or the Senegalese Mbaye Niang (5th) ?

Sunday Oliseh: First of all, I would like to congratulate Victor Osimhen for being elected winner of the Marc-Vivien Foé Prize. This trophy is important since it rewards the best African player in the French Championship. It is important for us Africans.

I find his victory even more surprising when we see the competitors that Victor had to surpass to win this title. Many people will wonder if he deserves it, if he is stronger than these players. But what Victor has done this season is truly exceptional. Thanks to him, his team managed to make a magnificent season.

I think Victor frankly deserves it because he brought a lot to his club. We really saw the difference when Victor was on the field and when he was not. We see the possibilities he offers his teammates to go forward. We also see the weight it places on the enemy's defenses.

He won the Marc-Vivien Foé Prize, succeeding players like Gervinho, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Vincent Enyeama and André Ayew. Is Victor Osimhen a player of the same caliber as them ?

Many people wonder. I think Victor even has qualities that these players don't have. He is young and I am almost certain that he will leave the French Championship in the near future. Because, all over Europe, they talked about him. His ex-club in Germany [Wolfsburg, where Osimhen failed to win, Editor's note] must be moaning because they realized that they had lost a player of qualities. Victor is a player of the future. He deserves this consecration.

He was the top scorer of the Nigeria Under-17 World Cup when you coached the Super Eagles in 2015-2016. Did he catch your eye at the time ?

When I was coach, I was trying to assemble a new team. In fact, the bases of the current national team are made up of players that I put together. For me, it was important to have young people of the future who were hungry for national team matches.

Victor Osimhen was playing at the U17 World Cup at the time. I had watched the meetings with my assistants, including the final won by Nigeria. He had done it with such ease, the way he eliminated his opponents.

We had planned to invite him to the national team. But I left the selection. Otherwise, I would have invited him. Because, since Rashidi Yekini left the selection, we have not had a player of the caliber of Victor Osimhen. My plan was to integrate it very slowly into the "Super Eagles", to give it a few minutes, before launching it 100% as we did with Wilfred Ndidi or Alex Iwobi at the time.

Can it be the top level center forward that Nigeria has sometimes missed to be at the top ?

Even today, the Nigerian team is strong. We have very good players. But we are missing a few key players, especially in offensive animation. I think that after what Victor has done this year, his presence is going to be something wonderful for the national team. I'm optimistic. I think it will solve the problems we have, in terms of finishing, penetration, movement. It will allow midfielders to play directly forward.

A last word to address to Victor Osimhen ?

Frankly, congratulations Victor! You deserve it. But I advise you my little brother to always remain humble and ambitious at the same time. Stay professional and good luck. Congratulations again, little brother!

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