Former Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh says Nigeria’s current World Cup qualification problems are not new, linking them to the old issues in the system.

Oliseh, who spoke on a recent episode of Bet Naija’s Home Turf podcast, also claimed that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) still owes him $26,000 for two months’ unpaid salary.

Oliseh said the late coach Joe Erico once “sat naked in his room and cursed Nigeria” over how the Super Eagles were treated in 2002.

He also revealed that key players like himself, Finidi George, Victor Ikpeba, Mutiu Adepoju, Tijani Babangida, and Taribo West were dropped from the squad and “robbed of payments after qualifying,” describing former Super Eagles manager Festus Onigbinde as one of the “worst coaches in Nigeria.”

That same year, the Super Eagles came from five points behind Liberia to qualify for the World Cup.

Oliseh said the same poor treatment of players and coaches still affects Nigerian football today, recalling that even after serving as the coach between 2015 and 2016, the NFF never paid his full salary and allowances.

The former Ajax and Juventus midfielder said he almost took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to get his money back but decided not to out of respect for Nigeria.

“I was close to taking them to the international court, but I didn’t want to embarrass Nigeria. I decided to let it go, even though they still owe me,” he said.

Oliseh added that he gave “everything” for the country, reminding fans of his years of service.

When contacted for comments on Oliseh’s claims, NFF general secretary Mohammed Sanusi did not respond to phone calls or messages.

He played over 60 matches for the Super Eagles, won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), earned Olympic gold at Atlanta 1996, and later returned as head coach from 2015 to 2016.