Former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has disclosed that Michael Olise turned down an opportunity to represent Nigeria as far back as 2019, despite being monitored closely by the national team setup at the time.
Rohr said the Nigeria Football Federation made efforts to track and assess the midfielder while he was still developing at Reading FC in England, but the player ultimately declined the invitation to switch international allegiance.
The former Nigeria manager explained that he and his assistant, Tunde Adelakun, personally watched Olise during his early professional years and attempted to bring him into the Super Eagles project. However, the approach did not succeed.
“In 2019, I saw this player and had a look at him with my assistant, Tunde. We went to watch a match and tried to invite him, but he did not want to join us at the time,” Rohr said. “I think he already knew he could have a big future in a European team and could play for several countries.”
At the time of the approach, Michael Olise was still at Reading FC and had not yet reached the peak of his career. Despite Nigeria’s interest, he opted to continue his development in Europe and eventually committed to France.
Born in England to a Nigerian father and a French-Algerian mother, Olise was eligible to represent multiple countries. He went on to progress through France’s youth national teams before earning a senior call-up.
Rohr added that even during scouting, it was clear the midfielder possessed outstanding quality, describing him as physically strong and technically gifted. However, he admitted Nigeria were unable to convince him at the crucial stage before his international future was decided.
Olise has since established himself at top level football, especially after joining Bayern Munich in 2024, where he has become a key attacking figure alongside world-class teammates.
Former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh also reacted to Nigeria’s failure to secure his services, expressing disappointment that a player of such talent did not end up representing the country.
Olise has already made appearances for the French senior national team and is widely expected to play a major role in upcoming international competitions, while Nigeria continue to reflect on missed opportunities to secure dual-national stars earlier in their careers.
The revelation adds to ongoing discussions about Nigeria’s long-standing struggle to convince Europe-born talents to commit early before they become established at elite international level.
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