Retired Super Eagles midfielder, Sunday Oliseh, has offered an insight into the main ingredient needed by the top teams to lift the FIFA World Cup trophy.
Oliseh is convinced that having a top-notch defensive midfielder is crucial to becoming World champions.
Citing the example of N’golo Kante, Oliseh noted that the input of the Chelsea midfield dynamo was critical to France’s glorious outing at the 2018 World Cup.
With Kante at his very best, France kept a clean sheet in four of seven matches – winning six in normal time – on the way to lifting the country’s second-ever trophy.
A defensive midfielder per excellence in his hay days, Oliseh believes the next champion of the world will be crowned thanks to the exploits of their defensive midfielder.
“On the other hand, a solid defensive midfielder is key to winning the World Cup,” Oliseh said.
“I personally think that no team can win the World Cup or a major international tournament without a solid defensive midfielder.
“You saw it with France with (N’Golo) Kante at the last World Cup, and how he delivered to them the World Cup. It goes way back. You are the umbrella of the defence. You shield the team.”
Oliseh featured at Nigeria’s first World Cup appearance in the United States in 1994. The former Borussia Dortmund ace was also a member of the Nigerian squad to the 1998 World Cup won by France.