Why Olise rejected Nigeria for France – Rohr

Former Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr has revealed why Michael Olise opted against representing Nigeria at international level.

Olise, who currently plays for Bayern Munich, was eligible to feature for Nigeria through his British-Nigerian father, as well as France, Algeria, and England.

Rohr disclosed that he and his coaching staff identified the winger early in his career and made attempts to bring him into the Super Eagles setup during his time at Reading FC.

However, the move never materialised, with Olise eventually committing his international future to France national team, where he made his senior debut in 2024 and later won a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Speaking on Brila FM, Rohr reflected on the failed approach.

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“In 2019 I and my assistant saw this player, we went to watch a match and we tried to invite him but he didn’t want to join us because I think he already knew he would have a big future with an European team.

“He could play for several countries, of course, this was seven years ago, can you imagine. We saw him, so strong but unfortunately he refused to play for Nigeria.”

Olise began his football journey at Hayes & Yeading before progressing through the youth systems of top English clubs including Chelsea FC, Arsenal FC, and Manchester City.

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