Former Super Eagles captain and coach Sunday Oliseh has urged Eric Chelle to act stubborn in his philosophy ahead of the AFCON 2025 tournament, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Franco-Malian manager was in charge of the Malian national team at the AFCON 2023 tournament in Ivory Coast, leading them to the quarter-final as they lost to the host.
He was appointed as Nigeria's head coach in January, with the sole purpose of leading the Super Eagles to the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a dreadful start to the qualifying campaign.
Chelle's mission fell short in the play-offs against DR Congo, with the 48-year-old claiming voodoo was responsible for the opposition's victory.
Oliseh warns Eric Chelle ahead of AFCON tournament
Sunday Oliseh was an instrumental part of Nigeria's AFCON-winning squad in 1994. The former Dortmund midfielder also played a key role in the Super Eagles' resurgence during the qualifying route to the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
The former Juventus man has now issued a warning to Eric Chelle, telling him to be firm in his decisions as a coach during the tournament.
“Inasmuch as people are pessimistic, I am very optimistic that the Super Eagles can do very well at this tournament,” the 51-year-old said on Sunday Oliseh's global football insight show.
“The first thing I think the manager has to do is to grow a bit stubborn. He has to grow stubborn because it is no secret that people from outside will try to influence who plays and who doesn't.
“I think he has to be firm and stand his ground, to show personality. He is responsible for making the team and deciding who's going to play.
“The team needs leadership, but a kind of leadership that they respect, not leadership that they fear or they like.
“At the moment, I don't think anyone doubts the respect the team has for Ndidi, and he's a player who plays every game. I'm not pushing for who will be captain, but I think he will be the captain since he captained the last game
“He has to be clear tactically. Peseiro was very defensive in the last Nations Cup; there is nothing wrong with us having a more compact game.
“Against DR Congo, we were too loose, too open, and they ran rings all around us. That I think is something that has to be done.
Responsibility falls on Super Eagles' players
Oliseh revealed the players also have some weight on their shoulders. Reflecting on his playing days, he urged the team leaders to step up to make sure preparations begin very quickly.
“Whoever will be the captain has to invoke what people call the Oliseh-Keshi leadership. They shouldn't wait for the NFF before they start calling players to come to camp.
“You, as a captain, like I used to do, should call the players privately and tell their teammates to arrive on time so they can begin preparations.
“To win a tournament is different from qualifiers. You have about two weeks to train, so it's more practical to be tactically astute, but that depends on everyone being in camp because it's a process.
“Whether or not you like Chelle, he's the coach, and everyone gets on the bandwagon behind this man to support him. If he wins the Nations Cup, it's not just him; it's Nigeria that wins.
“The tactics or formation is up to him. Any tactic that doesn't include Osimhen is going to be difficult to succeed at the moment because he's our best player. I wish him all the best,” the one-time Bundesliga winner concluded.
Nigeria have been drawn into AFCON 2025 Group C alongside Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda. They kick off their campaign by facing Tanzania on the 23rd of December at the Complexe Sportif de Fès in Fez, Morocco.
