Sunday Ogochukwu Oliseh was born on 14 September 1974 in Abavo, a village in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Abavo is part of the Ika or Ukwuani region, also referred to as Anioma. But there is some debate about his ethnicity because Oliseh has publicly said, “I am not Igbo.” He is 51 years old in 2025.
He was raised in a Catholic Christian family, and his mother is described as a devout Catholic. People know him because he played football for Nigeria. Oliseh was a good player. He could hold onto the ball, pass intelligently, and read the game well, making him one of the players who thought ahead, not simply fighting for the ball.
His usual role was mostly as a defensive midfielder, but he also played in other positions and even as centre-back. His football journey began at Julius Berger between 1989 and 1990. He then moved to RFC Lüttich from 1990 to 1991 as part of his youth development. His senior career first started with Julius Berger in 1990.
Sports Career of Sunday Oliseh
Sunday Oliseh started his career with the RFC Liège between the years 1991 and 1994, playing 75 matches and scoring 3 goals.
Later, he joined Italian club, Reggiana for a season between the years 1994 and 1995, playing 29 matches and scoring 1 goal.
Later, he joined German club, 1. FC Köln between the years 1995 and 1997, playing 54 matches and scoring 4 goals.
Finally, between the years 1997 and 1999, he joined Dutch club, Ajax, playing 54 matches and scoring 8 goals.
In the years 1999-2000, he joined Juventus in Italy, where he played 8 games without scoring any goals.
He played for Borussia Dortmund, Germany, between the years 2000 and 2005, playing 53 matches, scoring only 1 goal. During the season 2003-2004, he joined VfL Bochum on a loan, where he played 32 matches, scoring only 1 goal.
Finally, he ended his career with Genk, Belgium, between the years 2005 and 2006, where he played in 16 matches without scoring any goals.
In total, Sunday Oliseh played 321 league matches, scoring 18 goals.
Super Eagles Player
Oliseh’s Super Eagles career ran from 1993 to 2002. He earned 54 official caps and scored four goals, including the iconic one against Spain. His debut came on July 24, 1993, against Ethiopia, a match Nigeria won 6–0.
During the 1994 AFCON, he played against Gabon in a 3–0 group-stage victory, followed by a 0–0 draw with Egypt. In the knockout rounds, he helped Nigeria beat Zaire 2–0, drew 2–2 with Ivory Coast in the semi-final (winning via penalties), and then defeated Zambia 2–1 in the final to secure the AFCON title.
That same year, Oliseh featured in Nigeria’s first-ever World Cup knockout-stage run. At the 1994 FIFA World Cup, he contributed to victories over Bulgaria (3–0) and Greece (2–0), as well as a 1–2 loss to Argentina on June 2, before Nigeria was eliminated by Italy 1–2 in the Round of 16 on July 5.
In 1996, Oliseh was among the players who won Nigeria’s first Olympic football gold medal in Atlanta. He occasionally joined attacks alongside players like Nwankwo Kanu, Daniel Amokachi, and Jay-Jay Okocha.
In the 1998 World Cup in France, he scored a long-range goal against Spain in a 3–2 victory and played in midfield with Kanu. He also played against Bulgaria, Paraguay, and Denmark, with Nigeria exiting in the Round of 16.
Oliseh continued to lead the Super Eagles as captain, including during the 2002 AFCON. Nigeria was eliminated in the quarter-finals that year, and he retired from international football after falling out with the NFF. Note that Olympic matches are sometimes not counted as full senior caps.
His career had controversies: while on loan at VfL Bochum in 2004, he headbutted a teammate, ending his time at Dortmund. He retired from international football after being left out of Nigeria’s 2002 World Cup squad due to disciplinary issues and unpaid allowances.
Managerial Career
After retiring in 2006, Sunday Oliseh pursued coaching career and obtained his UEFA Pro Licence. His first role was with the youth teams at RCS Verviers in Belgium, mainly working with the Under-19 players.
In the 2008–09 season, he was promoted to manage Verviers’ first team, marking his first senior managerial role and giving him experience with a full squad in lower-tier Belgian football. In the 2014–15 season, Oliseh became Chief Coach and Club Manager of RCS Visé, another Belgian third-division club. Details of his results there are scarce.
In July 2015, he became head coach of Nigeria’s national team. During his tenure, Nigeria played 14 games, scoring 19 goals and losing only twice. He helped the team qualify for the 2016 CHAN tournament and managed them in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. His first official match ended in a draw against Tanzania.
Oliseh resigned on 26 February 2016, citing contract violations, lack of support, and unpaid wages and benefits for players and staff. After leaving the national team, Oliseh became the manager of Dutch club Fortuna Sittard on 27 December 2016 and stayed until 14 February 2018. He helped the team move up to the top Dutch league, the Eredivisie, and even won an award for being the best coach in the second division in 2017. He left the club because he argued with the owners, saying they wanted him to engage in “illegal activities” and refused.
After a few years without a club, Oliseh took the head coach role at SV 19 Straelen in Germany in June 2022. The team struggled, and he resigned on 23 August 2022. Today, he is not in charge of any football club. He has stayed active by giving interviews and sharing his thoughts about Nigerian football.
Club Career — Appearances and Goals
| Club | Years | League Appearances | League Goals |
|---|
| RFC Liège | 1991–1994 | 75 | 3 |
| Reggiana (Italy Serie A) | 1994–1995 | 29 | 1 |
| 1. FC Köln (Germany) | 1995–1997 | 54 | 4 |
| Ajax (Netherlands) | 1997–1999 | 54 | 8 |
| Juventus (Italy) | 1999–2000 | 8 | 0 |
| Borussia Dortmund (Germany) | 2000–2005 | 53 | 1 |
| VfL Bochum (loan) | 2003–2004 | 32 | 1 |
| Genk (Belgium) | 2005–2006 | 16 | 0 |
| Total | — | 321 | 18 |
Sunday Oliseh IFAB Appointment
On 26 May 2025, Sunday Oliseh announced on his X account that he got a new job with the International Football Association Board (IFAB). He is now part of the Football Advisory Panel (FAP), a group of former players, coaches, and football experts who help IFAB decide on football rules.
They give advice on things like changing the offside rule, using VAR, and other rules that affect how the game is played. Because Oliseh has played and coached football at a high level, he can help make sure Africa has a voice in these decisions.
Family, Wife and Children
Sunday Oliseh is married to Hafida Oliseh, sometimes spelled Hafidah. She is of Moroccan descent but was born in Belgium, making her Belgian-Moroccan. There are photos of her with Sunday, including at a 2022 World Cup match between Belgium and Morocco. In 2022, Sunday mentioned that his wife is “100% Moroccan even though she was born in Belgium.” They have two children: a son, Denzel Oliseh, and a daughter, Shanice Oliseh. In October 2024, Denzel graduated with a Master’s degree in social sciences from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, an achievement proudly shared by Sunday. Most credible sources confirm that these are his only children, despite one unverified claim suggesting four.
Sunday comes from a family of seven siblings: six boys and one girl. He is the second son. His elder brother, Churchill Oliseh, is a football manager who runs FC Ebedei and is credited with discovering talents such as Obafemi Martins. Another brother, Azubuike Oliseh, and Egutu Oliseh are former professional footballers. His sister, Tessy Oliseh (also Tessy Oliseh Amaize), studied fashion design in the UK and runs a fashion brand in Nigeria. His younger brother, Uche Oliseh, passed away on June 17, 2025, at age 51 due to malaria. Sunday’s nephew, Sekou Oliseh, son of Churchill, is also a footballer. Their parents were an accountant father and a businesswoman mother.
In October 2024, the family celebrated Denzel’s graduation, including Sunday, Hafida, Shanice, and brothers Churchill and Egutu. In June 2025, they mourned the death of Uche.
Is Michael Olise related to Sunday Oliseh?
Michael Olise and Sunday Oliseh are not family. Michael’s dad is Vincent Olise, and his mom is French-Algerian. Sunday Oliseh comes from Abavo in Delta State, Nigeria, and has a different family. Even though their last names sound alike and both families are from Delta State, they are not related.
Michael’s Nigerian side comes from his dad, and the similar names are just a coincidence. There’s nothing official that says Michael and Sunday are father and son or related in any way.
Salary
When Sunday Oliseh was coaching Nigeria’s Super Eagles, he said he earned ₦5 million each month, which was about US$12,850 back then. The football federation even paid him three months at once, which was ₦15 million. But later, in October 2025, he said they still owed him US$26,000 for two months of unpaid salary.
Before he became a coach, Oliseh played football in Europe. His first contract was with RFC Liège in Belgium, where he agreed to earn US$1,000 per month but received only US$750 after deductions. National team match bonuses during his playing days were typically US$1,000 to US$3,000 per game, and were paid irregularly. Nobody really knows his current salary.
Houses and Cars
Sunday Oliseh is said to own some houses and cars, but nobody knows for sure. In 2015, when he was coaching the Super Eagles, the Nigeria Football Federation gave him a 2015 Nissan Altima.
Other sources say he has two big houses in Lagos, one house in Delta State, and a three-bedroom house the government gave him for helping Nigeria win the 1994 African Cup of Nations.
People also say he has a 2016 Nissan Altima, a 2015 Jeep Liberty, and a 2018 Toyota Highlander. He is also reported to have a home in Belgium, where he grows tomatoes.
Sunday Oliseh Net Worth
People aren’t exactly sure how much money Sunday Oliseh has, and different sources say very different things. Around 2020–2021, some said he had between $500,000 and $2 million. By 2023, some estimated his net worth to be around $5 million.
In 2024, a few sources said up to $15 million, but that’s probably too high. For 2025, most estimates put him at $4–6 million. Some really big claims, like $150 million, aren’t true. The safest estimate for Oliseh’s net worth in 2025 is $4–6 million.
