Inter Lagos head coach Olusanjo Olutayo faces intense backlash and comparisons to Sunday Oliseh after labeling members of his winless squad 'cowards' following a 1-1 draw with Ranchers Bees.

Inter Lagos head coach Olusanjo Olutayo has sparked widespread debate after launching a scathing assessment of his players following the club's disappointing start to life in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).

The newly promoted side remained without a league victory and rooted to the bottom of the table after playing out a 1-1 draw against Ranchers Bees in Lagos.

The result came weeks after the club parted ways with their long-serving coach and handed the reins to Olutayo, who has also lost ata home to shock title contenders Nasarawa United.

Following the draw, the coach, popularly known as Sanjo, delivered an emotional post-match rant that has since gone viral on social media.

In the video shared by NPFL journalist Sporting Theory, Olutayo questioned both the mentality and quality of some members of his squad, suggesting fear and a lack of understanding were hurting the team's performances.

Discussing one player's display, the coach noted that although one of his midfielders frequently lost possession, he was at least making himself available for the ball. He then turned his attention to the rest of the team.

Inter Lagos head coach Olusanjo Olutayo during his famous rant.

"I also have players who are scared," Olutayo said. "If I have cowards in my team, we're going to keep having these issues, or we'll weed them out. We have soft players in the team."

The Inter Lagos boss went on to defend his coaching methods, insisting that he provides clear tactical instructions through training sessions, video meetings and position-specific briefings.

According to him, players are receiving enough information to execute his ideas, raising questions about either the standard of players available or their ability to apply instructions on the pitch.

"I don't work on a basic level. This is the NPFL, the highest tier. If I need to be dumbing down my ideas for players over here, then that means the quality of players in the league is poor," he added.

The comments quickly drew mixed reactions from supporters and neutrals, with some comparing Olutayo's blunt approach to former Super Eagles captain and coach Sunday Oliseh, who was known for his outspoken criticism of players and administrators.

One fan simply described the coach as "NPFL Sunday Oliseh", while another warned that public criticism of players could backfire.

Former Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh. (Photo Credit: Imago)

"He needs to calm himself down. With this alone, he will lose the dressing room," the supporter wrote.

Others questioned the wisdom of publicly criticising a squad that earned promotion to the top flight.

"Those boys got them the qualification to NPFL in the first place. So why talk down on them?" another fan commented.

However, not all reactions were critical. Some supporters sided with the coach, arguing that Inter Lagos' performances this season have reflected a lack of quality and intensity.

With Inter Lagos still searching for their first win of the campaign, attention will now turn to whether Olutayo's hard-line approach can spark a turnaround on the pitch or further increase pressure on a struggling dressing room.