Etim Esin has lashed out at Sunday Oliseh, for criticising Stephen Keshi’s decision to take as much as eight home-based players to the FIFA Confederations Cup.
Oliseh had complained that Keshi was becoming too reliant on the Glo Premier League players, but Esin in his defence insisted that the Eagles boss did the right thing, by giving the players exposure and experience.
The former Nigeria international, then pointed that Oliseh himself was a beneficiary of such action.
“Finidi George broke into the national team when Clemens Westerhof dropped me and other players in the game against Burkina Faso,” Etim told Punch.
“Oliseh was also presented a chance to break into the team when Westerhof dropped a big player for him. He played at home before going to Europe and he needs to encourage those who have not got the opportunity to play abroad.”
Esin also added that the inclusion of the NPL players, will help Keshi’s rebuilding process and cited Nigeria’s 4-1 win over Cote d’Ivoire in the CHAN qualifiers, as one of the results.
“Keshi is building a new team for the country and every player should be given a chance to play,” he said.
“No one knows what will happen tomorrow – one or two of the home-based players could break into the team and shine at the World Cup.
“I’m happy that Keshi gave some of the home-based players the opportunity to play at the Confederations Cup. It’s part of his rebuilding process and we should commend him for having the guts to play home-based players in such a big tournament.
“It was great experience for the players. They have gained confidence and they came back to beat Ivory Coast 4-1 [last Saturday].”
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