Super Eagles Head Coach, Sunday Oliseh, said in Abuja on Tuesday that he would give his players the respect they deserved to enable him get the best out of them.
Oliseh said this in an interview with newsmen after the team’s first training in preparation for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), qualifier against Tanzania.
He said that players like Emmanuel Emenike who had won laurel for the country deserved all the respect they could get to bring out the best in them.
“If you want the best from our players, we have to give them the respect; Emenike is Africa Nations Cup winner and Ujah scored 10 goals in the German league that hosts world champions’’, he said.
According to Oliseh, the non-inclusion of players like Mikel Obi and Odion Ighalo, does not mean that they cannot be invited in the future.
“Ighalo is in our plans; it is just that for this first game against Tanzania, we invited only two players for each position and we are trying to bring in competition.
“It is useless bringing in three strikers and paying their flight tickets and everything without being able to use one or two of them, so in that way, we have to take time.
“However, we have some heavyweights in Emmanuel Emenike and Anthony Ujah for that position and if need be, we may play the two of them.
“We have to get everybody on ground first but we are also realistic because we have to get the train on track first; so, we are starting gradually’’, Oliseh explained.
The Super Eagles handler pointed out that he would always be physically involved in the training to enable them to understand his football philosophy as quickly as possible.
“I am expecting to work with my fellow countrymen and I am impressed with the tactical display of some of the players.
“You can see that I am physically involved in the training and that is how I work. I don’t believe you tell players what to do, rather, you show them what to do as long as the big stomach is not there.
“When the big stomach comes, maybe I will stop that but I think it is the best way to make players understand your tactics because visual education is better than verbal.
“In verbal education, people interpret it differently’’, Oliseh said.
Sixteen players participated in Tuesday’s training conducted by Oliseh, his three assistants and the Special Adviser, Tijani Babangida.
Samson Gbadebo of Lobi Stars FC of Makurdi and Orji Kalu of Rangers International FC of Enugu, were given permission to travel to enable them to feature for their clubs in Wednesday’s FA Cup semi-final matches.