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Nigerian former international, Austin Eguavoen, has urged Super Eagles chief coach, Sunday Oliseh, to eschew his temperamental attitude if he wants to avoid any clash with the senior players in his team. Austin Eguavoen was also a former coach of the Super Eagles, a position he occupied after being an assistant  coach for a stretch. He and Sunday Oliseh were both players in the Super Eagles.

Eguavoen noted that handling the team is more of man management than technical input. Speaking to newsmen, the former Eagles gaffer, however, expressed happiness that Oliseh had started well by listening to advice from the authorities in the coaching profession, urging him to brace up for the difference between Europe and the situation of things in Nigeria. He insisted this would be a huge challenge  for the new handler, but he would scale through if he keeps his head and ears close to the ground and if he continues  at this pace.

On the possibility of Sunday Oliseh clashing with any of the returning senior players in the event they are invited for games, Eguavoen said: “I think it has to do with man management because apart from Yakubu Aiyegbeni, who demanded for a compulsory starting shirt, I never clashed with any player. People did not know much about it because even as he is from my state, Edo, I told him that every- body knew that Makinwa was hotter than him then. Oliseh is new in the business of coaching, young in age and I think that elderly ones should sit him down for some advice on how to manage the players.

“He must not show any temperamental attitude, he has to calm down but I will also urge the players to respect him. I remember when I invited Mikel Obi for a game in one of the South Africa regions, his agent called to inform me that he would not report early because he was relocating from his apartment.

“I told him not to bother coming again and if we need him in the next game we will invite him. Mikel Obi had to call me the next morning to beg and in fact, he changed his mind and reported to camp even before the deadline date,” he explained.

Eguavoen  believed that there are many capable hands in Nigeria that can help Sunday Oliseh to fulfil his appointment  as the Super Eagles' handler. He however stated that it all depends on the willingness  of the coach to listen to advice and this will determine how far he would go. He equally gave his impression about the two matches Oliseh prosecuted, noting: “I will say that I am impressed because it is all about results. We know that Sunday Oliseh is a new kid on the block who has lived in Europe just like many of us.

“Sometimes it is always better when you come home to see what happens around the country. Yes, he is a Nigerian but he is looking at Nigeria system with European perspective.”