Lagos, Aug 21 (IANS): Nigerian football team head coach Sunday Oliseh says the constant change of players in the last one year had made it difficult for the country to have a formidable squad.

Oliseh made the remark during the team's interactive session with reporters in Abuja on Thursday, reports Xinhua. He assured that a formidable team would be in place in time as the technical advisers had promised to give their best to ensure that Nigeria qualifies for the African Championship in 2017.

The coach said he would take full responsibility should the team fail to qualify for the 2017 Africa Nations Cup (AFCON) scheduled to take place in Gabon.

He said that it was usual for the head coach and his assistant to bear every consequence having produced the team list. Oliseh said no player would be given preferential treatment as long as he was in charge, adding that foreign and home-based players were Nigerians.

He said what would guarantee a player's position in the team was performance.

The former Juventus player pleaded with Nigerians to give him and his coaching crew enough time to build a formidable team for the country, saying that they took over from ground zero.