Super Eagles and Kano Pillars forward, Ahmed Musa, has highlighted the late Stephen Keshi as the national team coach who brought out the best in the players while describing former Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh as the most disciplined coach he worked with, Bold Sports reports.
Having earned over 100 caps for the Super Eagles in a career spanning more than a decade, Musa has played under several notable coaches, including Austin Eguavoen, Samson Siasia, Stephen Keshi, Shuaibu Amodu, Sunday Oliseh, Salisu Yusuf, Gernot Rohr, Jose Peseiro, and Finidi George. Among them, he rated Keshi as the coach who had the most profound impact on the team.
Keshi, who managed Nigeria between 2011 and 2015, led the Super Eagles to victory in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, breaking a nearly two-decade drought.
His approach included blending home-based talents with foreign-based players, a strategy that proved successful, as evidenced by Sunday Mba’s decisive goal in the final against Burkina Faso. Keshi, who also won the tournament as a player in 1994, is regarded as one of Africa’s greatest coaches, having also guided Togo to their first and only FIFA World Cup qualification in 2006.
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In an exclusive interview with Victor Modo on YouTube, Musa reflected on Keshi’s leadership, describing him as a father figure whose methods fostered respect and unity. He noted Keshi’s rule of prohibiting players from wearing jewelry in camp as an example of his approach to discipline.
“Late Stephen Keshi brought the best out of the team,” Musa said. “The first thing when you come to camp is you have to take off your jewelry—earrings and necklaces. That was his first rule. If you played under Stephen Keshi, you’d enjoy football because, on and off the pitch, he was with you, encouraging and advising you. He was like a father to us, and that brought out the best in us.”
Musa also praised Sunday Oliseh for his strict discipline during his tenure as the national team coach. “When it comes to discipline, I will say Sunday Oliseh,” he added.
Oliseh, known for his no-nonsense approach, was often straightforward and firm in his leadership. However, his tenure was marked by several disagreements with players due to his unwavering stance on discipline.
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