Highlights of Sunday Oliseh’s playing career

By Kayode Badmus

Sunday Oliseh is currently one of the most talked about Nigerians on social media following his announcement as Super Eagles coach. Here are highlights of his illustrious career as a footballer…

1. Sunday Oliseh played for the Nigerian national side for the first time in 1993 during a Cup of Nations qualifying match.
2. In 1994, he was in the successful Nigerian squad that won the Nations cup in Tunisia under Coach Clemens Westerhof.
3. Sunday Oliseh was also in the squad that won gold at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics.
4. Sunday Oliseh’s goal at the 1998 world cup in a match against Spain remains one of the best goals scored at the World Cup. Oliseh fired the shot from over 25 yards and it exploded into the Spanish goal with the keeper left helpless.
5. Oliseh was Nigeria’s captain at the 2000 and 2002 Africa Cup of Nations in which Nigeria came 2^nd and 3^rd respectively. Oliseh officially retired from the Super Eagles in June 2002, focusing on his club career.
6. In his entire playing days with the Super Eagles of Nigeria spanning 9 years, Sunday Oliseh is noted to have scored only two goals – one in 1993 in a Cup of Nations qualifying match and at the 1998 World Cup match against Spain.
7. He began his international career in Belgium where he played for Standard Liege for four seasons after joining the club in 1991.
8. Oliseh won the German Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund in the 2001/2002 season. He also played in the UEFA Cup final against Feyenoord of Netherlands.
9. On February 28, 2004, while on loan at Vfl Bochum from Borussia Dortmund, Sunday Oliseh was reported to have punched a teammate, Vahid Hashemian. This led the club into terminating his loan deal while Dortmund also declared him surplus to requirements.