Michael Olise has been one of the most compelling wide players in European football this season, and that fact is doing nothing to ease the frustration of those who believe he should have been wearing green rather than blue, Footynaija.com reports.
Olise chose France over Nigeria and has gone on to establish himself as one of the most exciting attacking players in the Bundesliga since joining Bayern Munich from Crystal Palace.
Sunday Oliseh, the former Super Eagles captain who won Olympic gold with Nigeria in 1996 and later managed the senior team, has been among the most vocal on the matter.
Speaking on his podcast, Global Football Insights with Oliseh, the ex-Juventus midfielder did not hold back.
‘He gets me so angry’
“When I see Olise play, he gets me so angry,” Oliseh stated.
“I’m just saying this guy should not be wearing the French national team jersey; he should be wearing the green-white-green of Nigeria.”
He also addressed the backlash he has received from fans who conflated his surname with the player’s.
“Some even sent messages asking why I sabotaged us. ‘Your son went to play for France.’ He’s not my son, and his own Olise does not even have an ‘h’ at the end of it.”
Oliseh then offered a candid admission about how he once privately underestimated the player.
“And he’s so good. I have a confession to make. When he was doing great at Crystal Palace, I was saying to myself, ‘This guy is good, but maybe he’s missing something.’”
He has since revised that view.
“Now you are seeing defenders feeling helpless against him; they even foul him and insult him to provoke him, and he’s a quiet person,” Oliseh added.
“So he still needs to prove himself. But kudos to him, he just has to keep working hard to earn his place.”
