Super Eagles chief coach Sunday Oliseh has faulted the match referee’s decision to disallow a goal scored by Ahmed Musa in Tuesday’s international friendly between Nigeria and Niger at the Adokie Amiesiamaka Stadium in Port Harcourt.
A Nigerien player had mistakenly back passed the ball which he thought would get to his goalkeeper but it fell on Musa’s path and he neatly beat the goalkeeper. The referee ruled it for offside. But Oliseh likened the disallowed goal by Musa to the one which Wale’s captain and striker Gareth Bale scored against Belgium in Euro 2016 qualifying which was ruled as a goal.
“Of course it was a goal but the referee, like all human beings, made a mistake at that moment. The ball got to Musa from an opponent. Wales scored a similar goal against Belgium in Euro 2016 qualifying when Gareth Bale finished off the move.
“These things happen…if it had happened in a competitive game, I would have lost my rag but it was a friendly.”
Oliseh says his players always try to compete against themselves and not opponents as they try to raise their level of play.
Oliseh made the disclosure when addressing reporters after Nigeria’s 2-0 friendly international against Niger in Port Harcourt.
“What we are trying to do is to play against ourselves and not necessarily against the opponent. We are trying how to learn how to play together as a team. It didn’t matter if we were playing against Niger which I think is a very good team,” he said.
“It was important to see how the players reacted after making those mistakes on Saturday (in the 0-0 draw with Tanzania in Dar es Salaam). We had some team talks after that game and it is clear the players are feeling a lot better now.”