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August 10, 2006
Oliseh charts a new course
Former Nigeria captain Sunday Oliseh may have retired from playing football but the midfielder is charting a managerial route in Belgium with second division side KAS Eupen.
By Oluwashina Okeleji
Eight months after hanging up his boots, one of Nigeria's most respected players of all times is keen to achieve further success as the sporting director of the modest Belgian side.
"Football has a special place in my life and that's what I want to prove here with Eupen," the 32-year-old told BBC Sport.
"Having spent half of my life playing professional football, I want to excel with this new challenge but on a different level altogether.
"That inexplicable pressure of what the next game will bring is obviously absent and that gives me a strong mental ability to do my job with relative ease."
Founded in 1945, KAS Eupen hail from the city of Eupen in the province of Liège, a German-speaking area in the east of Belgium.
This is familiar terrain for Oliseh who began his professional career with Club Liege in 1990.
Having played in Germany, Holland and become the first Nigerian to feature in Italy's Serie A (with Reggiana in 1996), Eupen's 6,000-capacity Kehrweg Stadion is a far cry from the stadiums Oliseh is used to but he is taking everything in his stride.
"Eupen is not one of the biggest clubs in Belgium but when I was approached to take this role, I knew they could become a massive side in the future," he noted.
"Everything here is run professionally and I believe my travels around the world will have a positive impact on this club.
"I've now been sporting director here for two months and it's both interesting and intriguing to be in management."
With the former Super Eagle having started and ended his career in Belgium, one wonders what the strong bond between Oliseh and the country is.
"My family is happy here and so am I. You could say that Belgium is my second home," the former Juventus and Ajax Amsterdam star explained.
"Eupen are happy I chose them instead of a top division club and I'm also happy, because the club is just 20 minutes from my home."
"I still follow football back in Nigeria but my strong attention is with my family and this new challenge."
Eupen may be mainly considered as an industrial and trade centre, but Oliseh is hoping the town will be the scene of a football revolution.
"I am confident that in the next few years, you will be hearing the name KAS Eupen across Europe."
Oliseh has known success with Nigeria, winning both the 1994 Nations Cup and the 1996 Olympics, so could this new role be the start of something that leads to the former international managing the Super Eagles in future?
"The football world is unpredictable but I only have one major task ahead, and it lies here in Eupen," he answered diplomatically.
With Belgium considered as the breeding ground for many Africans footballers seeking greener pastures in Europe, Oliseh could well be opening a door for aspiring compatriots in the coming years.
Posted by Publisher at August 10, 2006 02:12 PM
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