A few days after Stephen Keshi, the former head coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, was sacked, it was reported that the Nigerian Football Federation contacted Sunday Oliseh to replace him on the field.
Oliseh is a veteran footballer; he played for the Nigerian team in the 90’s during which they won the gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. However, his career as a footballer was different from others even after retirement. Most sports men and footballers go bankrupt after retiring, but Sunday’s case is exceptional. Unlike many other footballers who go bankrupt shortly after their astronomical weekly salaries stop when they retire, Oliseh has managed to grow a successful career as a football manager by furthering his education in all things football.
Sunday Oliseh’s Career
Sunday Ogorchukwu Oliseh, 40, has been a passionate footballer from childhood despite his parents wishes. His love for football did not interfere with his studies as he graduated as one of the top three students in his class. He combined schooling with his football career before he was invited by a Belgian football agent for trials. To the surprise of this agent, Oliseh was accepted into RFC Liege’s first team on the spot. After playing with FC Liege for four years, he moved to other clubs such as AC Reggiana, Ajax, Juventus and KRC Genk Belgium. This served as an opportunity for him to learn other languages. Today, he speaks three foreign languages; Dutch, French and Italian
Oliseh retired from professional football in 2006 and then decided to attend university to sharpen his academic skills. He decided to take a three-year course in coaching and a Diploma in Business Management.
In an interview with Ventures Africa, Super Sports football analyst, Charles Anazodo described Sunday as “a very focused, smart and thorough person who understands the game of football very well. Even though being a football analyst and coach are different, Sunday has a clearer understanding having played the game.”
Life after retirment
Most footballers retire between the ages of 32 and 35. In less than five years after retirement, many go bankrupt due to bad spending habits, poor financial education, and the outsized demands of family and friends. Many do not have post football career plans. According to statistics, about 65 percent of sports men go broke after retirement with footballers accounting for 74 percent. Sports legends such as Mike Tyson who earned $350million over the course of his career, Allen Iverson who earned $154 million, and Evander Holyfield who brought in $250 million, all went broke. Nigerian football star Celestine Babayaro and Cameroonian Eric Djemba-Djemba went broke after their illustrious careers. “Going Bankrupt boils down to education. If you are educated enough you’ll know that the game of football or any sports doesn’t last forever, and any money you make should be invested properly,” said Charles Anazodo.
Oliseh’s quest for education has helped him beat the curse that plagues other sports men. His love for academic excellence guided him through a journey from footballer to analyst and professional coach in Europe. Now he has achieved the ultimate dream as he prepares to take the reigns of Nigeria’s national football team.
