Sunday Oliseh facts for kids
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Sunday Ogochukwu Oliseh | ||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 14 September 1974 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Abavo, Delta State, Nigeria | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m | ||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||
| 1989–1990 | Julius Berger | ||||||||||||
| 1991–1994 | RFC Liège | 75 | (3) | ||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Reggiana | 29 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 1995–1997 | 1. FC Köln | 54 | (4) | ||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | Ajax | 54 | (8) | ||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Juventus | 8 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2000–2005 | Borussia Dortmund | 53 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | → VfL Bochum (loan) | 32 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Genk | 16 | (0) | ||||||||||
| Total | 321 | (18) | |||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||
| 1993–2002 | Nigeria | 55 | (4) | ||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||
| 2007 | Eupen (sports director) | ||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Verviétois | ||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Nigeria | ||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Fortuna Sittard | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | SV 19 Straelen | ||||||||||||
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Honours
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Sunday Ogochukwu Oliseh (born on September 14, 1974) is a famous Nigerian football manager and former player. He played as a defensive midfielder, a position where he helped protect his team's defense. Sunday Oliseh was known for being strong and very skilled with the ball. He played for some of Europe's biggest clubs, like Ajax, Borussia Dortmund, and Juventus. Many people consider him one of the best African midfielders ever.
Playing Career Highlights
Sunday Oliseh played 55 international matches for the Nigerian national team, scoring 4 goals. He represented Nigeria in two FIFA World Cups, in 1994 and 1998.
A major achievement for Oliseh was being part of the Nigerian team that won the Olympic gold medal in football at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. This was a huge moment for Nigerian sports.
In 1998, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) voted him the third-best footballer in Africa.
He is especially remembered for scoring an amazing winning goal against Spain in the 1998 World Cup group stage. Nigeria won that exciting match 3–2. Oliseh took a powerful shot from far away, surprising the Spanish goalkeeper.
Even though he was the captain of Nigeria during the 2002 African Cup of Nations, Oliseh was not chosen for the World Cup team later that year. This was due to disagreements with the team management. After missing the World Cup, he decided to retire from international football in June 2002.
In January 2006, at 31 years old, Sunday Oliseh retired from playing professional football. His last club was K.R.C. Genk in Belgium.
Managerial Career
After his playing career, Sunday Oliseh began coaching. He started with youth teams in Belgium. Later, he became the chief coach for the first team of Verviers in the 2008–09 season. He also managed RCS VISE in Belgium during the 2014–15 season.
In 2015–16, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) appointed him as the Chief Coach of the Nigerian national team, known as the Super Eagles. During his time, the team played 14 games, losing only 2. They scored 19 goals and only let in 6.
He helped Nigeria qualify for the CHAN tournament in Rwanda. He also led them to the group stage of the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers. His first game as national coach was a draw against Tanzania in an AFCON qualifier.
Oliseh resigned from his role as Nigeria's national coach on February 26, 2016. He left after about eight months due to issues with his contract and a lack of support.
On December 27, 2016, Oliseh was announced as the new manager of Fortuna Sittard in the Netherlands. He was fired on February 14, 2018, after some disagreements with the club.
After taking a break from coaching, Oliseh was appointed head coach of the German club SV 19 Straelen in June 2022. However, he left the position just two months later in August 2022.
Style of Play
Sunday Oliseh was a very strong and skilled midfielder. He mainly played as a defensive midfielder. This role means he helped protect the defense. However, he was also good at keeping the ball and making passes. He was an early example of a defensive midfielder who also helped create plays for his team.
Personal Life
Sunday Oliseh comes from a family of footballers. His younger brothers, Azubuike and Egutu, also played professional football. Another brother is Churchill Oliseh, and his nephew is Sekou Oliseh.
Honours
Sunday Oliseh won many titles during his career:
Ajax
- Eredivisie: 1997–98 (Dutch League)
- KNVB Cup: 1997–98, 1998–99 (Dutch Cup)
Juventus
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999 (European Club Competition)
Borussia Dortmund
- Bundesliga: 2001–02 (German League)
- UEFA Cup runner-up: 2001–02 (European Club Competition)
Nigeria U23
- Olympic Gold Medal: 1996
Nigeria
- African Cup of Nations: 1994
- Afro-Asian Cup of Nations: 1995
