Olise Snubbed Nigeria’s Invitation In 2019, Says Rohr

Former Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr has disclosed that Michael Olise turned down the chance to play for Nigeria as early as 2019.

Rohr, who coached Nigeria from 2016 to 2021, successfully brought several foreign-born players into the squad during his tenure, including Ola Aina, Joe Aribo, and Semi Ajayi. However, he failed to convince Olise to switch his international allegiance.

At the time, Olise was at Reading FC. Born in England to a British-Nigerian father and a French-Algerian mother, he instead chose to represent France, rising through their youth ranks before earning senior caps.

Speaking to Brilla FM, Rohr recalled scouting the winger alongside his assistant Tunde Adelakun: “In 2019, we went to watch a match and tried to invite him, but he did not want to join us. I think he already knew he could have a big future with a European team.”

Olise has since become a global star, moving from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich in 2024.

The 24-year-old now has 15 senior appearances and four goals for France, and is expected to play a key role for Les Bleus at the 2026 FIFA World Cup a tournament Nigeria failed to qualify for.