Former Nigeria captain and coach, Sunday Oliseh, has said he is "deeply saddened" by social media attacks questioning his support for the Super Eagles following his debut as a colour commentator during Nigeria's Africa Cup of Nations opener against Tanzania on Tuesday.

Oliseh responded to widespread criticism of his performance in the broadcast booth, defending his approach to the job as professional objectivity rather than bias against the national team.

"For nearly 40 years, I have dedicated my life and career to the progress of Nigerian football," Oliseh wrote on social media. "While my professional duty requires impartiality and objective critique, my heart remains firmly with the players and Coach Eric Chelle."

Oliseh, who won Olympic gold with Nigeria in 1996, the Africa Nations Cup in 1994, played at two other AFCON tournament in 2000 and 2002 and also represented the country at two FIFA World Cup tournaments, saw his performance in the booth widely criticised by Nigerians on social media for reasons that include being overly critical of the Super Eagles, not enough knowledge of the Tanzania team, being too bland and unrelatable.

Others described the former midfielder's commentary "disastrous," "depressing" and overly negative. Critics also accused him of showing particular bias against star striker Victor Osimhen.

Memes suggesting "Oliseh hates Osimhen" circulated widely on social media following the match. Some fans also accused him of over-praising Tanzania during the contest.

In his statement, Oliseh addressed the contradictory nature of the criticism, noting he was recently accused of being "too supportive" of Nigeria's coaching staff.

"Just recently, I was accused of being too supportive of the coaching staff. To now be accused of the opposite suggests a misunderstanding of my role as an analyst," he wrote. "Constructive honesty is not a sign of dislike; it is a tool for improvement born out of a desire to see our nation succeed."

Oliseh, who earned 55 caps for Nigeria and captained the Super Eagles during his playing career before returning to coach the team in 2015, insisted his loyalty to the national team has not changed.

He called on Nigerian supporters to move past the controversy and unite behind the players competing in Morocco. (ESPN)

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