Olaha - the precious gem of SLNA

Every beginning is difficult.

Michael Olaha was discovered, trained, and developed at the New Generation Academy in Nigeria. He also had a brief stint with Abia Warriors FC before signing with SLNA in January 2017.

Coming to the Nghe An team with high expectations, the young Nigerian player had a very difficult start. In the first three months of the 2017 V.League season, Michael Olaha was a huge disappointment to the Nghe An football fan community.

Olaha is currently considered the best left-footed player in the V.League. (Photo: VPF)

In fact, ever since joining SLNA, this player has always played aggressively, actively, running a lot, and moving around a lot, but without being truly effective. He almost never connected with his teammates, leading to him feeling isolated in the attack. There were times when he didn't even have enough confidence to play in a starting match and proactively asked the coaching staff to let him sit on the bench. This is something that almost never happens with foreign players, especially in a team that plays with such passion as SLNA.

I understand that the fans need to see me score goals, and they have the right to be angry.

Michael Olaha

He also confided and shared on Facebook: “Sometimes I feel lonely. Many fans have sent me criticisms on Facebook. I understand that fans want to see me score goals and they have the right to be angry. However, this is the coach's instruction. I also asked the coach to let me sit out so that other players could play. I could watch and learn. But the coach said he needed me to play in midfield. I don't care too much about scoring goals, I just try to help the team.”

In his first two seasons, SLNA was instructed to play a deeper role to support the defense. In the 2017 V.League season, Olaha scored 7 goals, beginning to show confidence and technical skill, completing 126 dribbles with 73 successful attempts, a success rate of 58%. The national championship trophy that year bore the strong imprint of Olaha, along with Khắc Ngọc and Phi Sơn.

In the 2018 season, Michael Olaha showed significant improvement in speed and his ability to seize scoring opportunities. The 8 goals he scored convinced coach Nguyen Duc Thang to renew his contract.

Times change, circumstances change.

Olaha is the first player to achieve a hat-trick of "Man of the Match" awards in the V.League 2019. (Photo: VPF)

When Van Binh arrived, Olaha was pushed further up the field, freeing him from some defensive duties, and his V.League experience began to shine. Olaha was present in every midfield challenge, but he no longer served as a link between attack and defense as before; instead, he became an attacking threat. Sometimes, thanks to his height of 1.86m, he was tasked with holding up the ball in aerial situations.

Playing in his preferred position, Olaha has become a crucial cog in the fast-paced, high-energy system of the Nghe An team.

In terms of physique and fitness, Olaha has improved his strength compared to two years ago when he first arrived in the V-League. His thicker upper body, combined with a more cunning playing style, has given him better tackling ability and helped him avoid being pushed down by opponents as he used to.

Olaha. Photo: Duc Anh

Olaha's muscular strength also allows him to make powerful and effective bursts of speed. His goal against Van Bieu at Hoa Xuan Stadium in the 6th round is a prime example: From a pass by Ngoc Toan from about 40 meters, he sprinted for 6 seconds to shoot diagonally into the net, scoring a goal for SLNA, much to the surprise of the SHB Da Nang defenders.

With 3 goals (out of SLNA's 7) and 1 assist, Olaha has been voted Man of the Match 3 times. Olaha is currently considered the best left-footed player in V.League 2019, having scored 2 goals with his preferred foot and the other with his head.

Olaha is one of the players with the most playing minutes for SLNA. (Photo: Archival image)

For Olaha to become a V.League star, he still needs to improve his free-kick technique and create unexpected and creative assists. Meanwhile, the SLNA coaching staff must consider retaining the Nigerian foreign player long-term, as it's been a long time since they acquired such a "gem," one who has maintained a healthy lifestyle after three seasons of training.