Oliseh: Great honour to coach Eagles

NIGERIA Football Federation (NFF)a on Wednesday appointed former Super Eagles skipper, Sunday Oliseh as their new coach on a three-year contract.

Oliseh said it was an honour to lead the Super Eagles, but warned that he alone was not capable of turning around the country's soccer fortunes.

"It a great honour to be coach of this nation," he said at a media presentation in Abuja Wednesday.

"First of all, I am not coming as a Messiah. I am not coming as a man who can turn Nigeria into Germany.

"I am coming in to do my best and give, if possible, 150 percent all the time.

"The state we are now in in Nigeria I think we are all not happy with. Gone are the days we have individual players who can  win a match for you. But we have the potential and that is our belief and the players must know that it's an honour to be invited to the national team."

Oliseh, 40, has replaced Stephen Keshi, who was sacked recently for applying for the vacant Ivory Coast Elephants job which he denied in a disciplinary hearing.

The midfielder played for several top European clubs including Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Ajax Amsterdam as well as featuring at two World Cups with Nigeria.

He also won Olympic gold in 1996 as well as the Africa Cup of Nations in 1994.

Oliseh holds a UEFA pro coaching license and is a member of the FIFA technical study group.

The immediate tasks for the new Nigeria will be a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier away in Tanzania in early September as well as a friendly some days later.

"There is no time to waste. The team have important matches to play in the next few weeks and it is imperative that Oliseh starts work immediately," NFF general secretary Mohammed Sanusi said.