Sami Ouaissa got his first pre-season minutes for NEC on Friday against Sevilla. The Nijmegen side's standout player had recently been struggling with an ankle injury, while rumours swirled that he was using it as an excuse to force through a transfer. Complete nonsense, Ouaissa says to RN7 Sport.
Ouaissa played a major role in NEC's success last season. With seven goals, one assist and his creative spark, he helped drive them to a historic third place in the Eredivisie. The 21-year-old left-footer's form has attracted interest from, among others, PSV and Feyenoord.
Against Sevilla on Friday, Ouaissa showed his class in the 2-1 friendly defeat with a fine finish at the end of a combination move. The right midfielder, though, wants nothing to do with talk of his 'last goal for NEC'. "I have been injured, and still am a little bit, but an important match is coming up."
On Tuesday, NEC face Olympiakos in the first leg of the third qualifying round of the Champions League. "I want to help the team as much as I can with what I am able to do. I hope I am ready for that on Tuesday," Ouaissa says, frustrated by his ankle complaints. "It is shit, the timing too."
"I don't think many people believe me, believed me. But anyway, that is up to those people. I know my body best. I am not normally someone who gets injured, but it is pure bad luck. And the timing too is pure bad luck." Head coach Dick Schreuder will have to decide on Tuesday how many minutes Ouaissa can manage at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus.
"At a certain point I started to get seriously irritated," Ouaissa continues. "I thought: unnecessary. People who really know me know that I am not going to fake an injury. Whatever my plans are, I need to be fit. Why would I not train and not play matches? Especially not for that long?"
"But anyway, people can say what they want. I am happy to be back, and even if it is with a bit of pain, I am still trying to help the team," Ouaissa said. The contract of the three-time Netherlands Under-21 international at De Goffert runs until mid-2028.