Football fans love goals, assists, and trophies. But sometimes, the real drama happens far away from the stadium lights — in training camps, locker rooms, and logistics rooms that never make the highlight reel.
Former Super Eagles head coach Sunday Oliseh has just pulled back the curtain on one of the most surprising realities of his time with Nigeria’s national team: training sessions delayed because of kit shortages.
Yes, kits.
“We Had To Wait For Jerseys To Dry”
According to Oliseh, some Super Eagles training sessions could not start on time simply because there were not enough training kits to go round.
Players trained in the morning, washed their kits, and the team literally had to wait for the jerseys to dry before resuming training later in the day.
“When I was coaching the Super Eagles, sometimes I had to take the boys to training but we couldn’t go at the said time because we had to wait for the clothes they used in the morning to dry up.”
In elite football, where every minute of preparation matters, that is not just inconvenient — it is costly.
Talent Was Never The Problem
Appointed in 2015, Oliseh inherited a squad packed with ability, experience, and international pedigree. What the team lacked was not quality on the pitch, but consistency and structure off it.
Despite the challenges, Oliseh still guided Nigeria to qualify for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) and delivered several solid performances. That alone puts his tenure into clearer perspective.
The Bigger Issue: Infrastructure And Planning
This revelation is not just about missing jerseys. It highlights a deeper issue Nigerian football has battled for years: poor planning and weak logistics.
At the highest level of the game:
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Training schedules should never depend on laundry cycles
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Equipment availability should be guaranteed, not improvised
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Coaches should focus on tactics, not towels
When basics fail, performance inevitably suffers.
Why This Conversation Matters Now
Oliseh’s comments arrive at a time when fans are pushing for reforms, better administration, and more accountability in Nigerian football. They also explain why some coaches — local and foreign — struggle despite having talented players at their disposal.
Success in football is not magic. It is structure, preparation, and respect for details.
Final Whistle
Sunday Oliseh’s story is not an excuse — it is context. And context matters.
Before we judge coaches solely by results, it is worth asking: what tools were they truly given to work with?
Because sometimes, the difference between a perfect training session and a wasted day… is a drying jersey.
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