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 (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||
| Position(s) | 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) | |||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||
| 1993–2002 | Nigeria | 55 | (4) | ||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||
| 2007 | Eupen (sports director) | ||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Verviétois | ||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Nigeria | ||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Fortuna Sittard | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | SV 19 Straelen | ||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||
Sunday Ogochukwu Oliseh (born on September 14, 1974) is a Nigerian football manager and a former football 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 football clubs, like Ajax, Borussia Dortmund, and Juventus. Many people consider him one of the best African midfielders ever.
Contents
Playing Career: A Football Star
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.
Olympic Gold Medalist
A major highlight of his career was being part of the Nigerian team that won the Olympic gold medal in football at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. This was a huge achievement for Nigeria and for African football.
Memorable World Cup Goal
Oliseh is especially remembered for a fantastic goal he scored in the 1998 World Cup. Nigeria was playing against Spain. He took a powerful shot from far away, surprising the Spanish goalkeeper, and helped Nigeria win the match 3–2.
Retirement from International Play
After the 2002 African Cup of Nations, Oliseh decided to retire from playing for his country in June 2002. He had played professionally until January 2006, when he was 31 years old. His last club was K.R.C. Genk in Belgium.
Managerial Career: Leading Teams
After his playing days, Sunday Oliseh started a new journey as a football coach. He began by coaching youth teams in Belgium.
Coaching in Belgium
He worked with the Under 19 team at Verviers and later became the head coach for their first team during the 2008–09 season. In the 2014–15 season, he took on the role of Chief Coach and Club Manager for RCS VISE, another Belgian team.
Leading the Super Eagles
In 2015–16, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) appointed him as the Chief Coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria. During his time as coach, his team played 14 games, with only 2 losses. They scored 19 goals and only let in 6.
He helped Nigeria qualify for the CHAN tournament in Rwanda and reach the group stage of the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers. He resigned from this role in February 2016 due to disagreements about his contract and support for the team.
Coaching in Europe Again
On December 27, 2016, Oliseh became the new manager of Fortuna Sittard in the Netherlands. He left the club in February 2018. After a break, he was appointed head coach of the German club SV 19 Straelen in June 2022. However, he left this position after just two months.
Style of Play: A Unique Midfielder
Sunday Oliseh was known for being a strong and skilled midfielder. He mostly played as a defensive midfielder, which means he helped protect his team's goal. However, he was also good at keeping the ball and making smart passes, showing a more creative side to his defensive role.
Family in Football
Sunday Oliseh comes from a family of footballers. His younger brothers, Azubuike and Egutu, also played professionally. Another brother is Churchill Oliseh, and his nephew is Sekou Oliseh.
Career Achievements
Sunday Oliseh won several important titles during his playing career:
Club Honours
- Ajax
- Eredivisie: 1997–98
- KNVB Cup: 1997–98, 1998–99
- Juventus
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999
- Borussia Dortmund
- Bundesliga: 2001–02
- UEFA Cup runner-up: 2001–02
International Honours
- Nigeria U23
- Olympic Gold Medal: 1996
- Nigeria
- African Cup of Nations: 1994
- Afro-Asian Cup of Nations: 1995
See also
In Spanish: Sunday Oliseh para niños
