Former Super Eagles head coach, Sunday Oliseh, has revealed that he chose not to drag the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to court despite being owed $26,000 in unpaid salaries from his tenure as national team coach between 2015 and 2016.

Speaking on the Home Turf podcast, Oliseh explained that his decision stemmed from patriotism and love for Nigeria—not fear or weakness.

“Till today, I am the only Nigerian coach who ever resigned. And they still owe me two months’ salary, which is $26,000,” the 51-year-old said.

Oliseh disclosed that many people had encouraged him to take legal action, certain that FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber would rule in his favor. However, he refused, saying he didn’t want to be portrayed as acting against his country.

“A lot of people have asked me to take the NFF to court. If I take the case to FIFA, I will win. But when the news breaks, it won’t read ‘Oliseh takes NFF to court’—it will say ‘Oliseh takes Nigeria to court.’ And that’s not something I want to be associated with,” he explained.

The former Super Eagles captain emphasized that his stance was driven by a sense of national pride.

“I will not take my fatherland to a Western court. I love my country, and no matter what, I don’t want to be seen as someone fighting against Nigeria,” he said.

Oliseh resigned from his role in 2016 following a strained relationship with the NFF over unpaid wages and alleged interference in team management, becoming the first Nigerian coach to voluntarily step down from the position.

Despite the controversy surrounding his exit, Oliseh has remained one of the most vocal figures in Nigerian football, consistently speaking out about player welfare, administrative inefficiency, and the poor treatment of local coaches.

His remarks have once again highlighted the persistent issue of unpaid salaries and poor governance within the NFF—a problem that has affected several coaches and players over the years, some of whom have sought redress through FIFA.

A key member of Nigeria’s golden football era, Oliseh earned 63 caps and scored three goals for the Super Eagles. He played an instrumental role in the team’s 1994 Africa Cup of Nations victory and represented Nigeria at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, famously scoring a thunderous winner against Spain in France.