"2026 WCQ: Oliseh Reveals Erico's Shocking Outburst Against Super Eagles"

Former Super Eagles midfielder, Sunday Oliseh, has revealed that former coach Joe Erico stripped naked and cursed the team.

According to Oliseh, this might be a factor contributing to the struggles of the Nigerian national team as they attempt to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

The 51-year-old captained the Eagles at the 2002 African Cup of Nations and played a crucial role in helping the team qualify for the World Cup that same year.

However, Oliseh was not part of the squad for the tournament held in South Korea/Japan due to disciplinary reasons that led to his omission.

Jay-Jay Okocha was appointed as captain, and Oliseh announced his retirement from the national team.

Festus Onigbinde was appointed to lead the Nigerian team, while the late Shuaibu Amodu, Joe Erico, and Stephen Keshi formed the core coaching trio that guided Nigeria to qualification after trailing behind Liberia by five points.

The Eagles were eliminated in the group stage, finishing with just one point and failing to score any goals.

Oliseh has now asserted that Erico placed a curse on the team following the incident.

“Coach Erico made it very clear before his passing that what they did to us in 2002 was significant; he sat in his room naked and cursed Nigeria,” Oliseh stated on the Home Turf podcast.

“He was a wonderful person, a great human being. He came in and took charge of the team. Erico, Keshi, and Shuaibu Amodu were key figures.”

“Keshi was still finding his way as a coach, yet he invested a lot of effort. He often invited me to his room to discuss his plans to ensure Nigeria qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.”

“We were five points behind Liberia in the qualifiers, similar to the current situation. Many had written us off, but with their leadership, we became united.”

“Keshi called me from the United States while I organized the players, and gradually, we built our momentum.”