NEC playmaker Sami Ouaissa is hugely frustrated: 'I don't think many people believe me' | Goal.com

Published on 01 Aug 2026 | Reading time: 2 minutes

Sami Ouaissa got his first pre-season minutes for NEC against Sevilla on Friday. The Nijmegen club's standout player had been struggling with an ankle injury recently, while claims surfaced that he was using it as an excuse to force through a transfer. Utter nonsense, Ouaissa says to RN7 Sport.

Ouaissa played a major role in NEC's success last season. With seven goals, an assist and his creative play, he helped them secure a historic third-place finish in the Eredivisie. Those performances have drawn interest in the 21-year-old left-footer from, among others, PSV and Feyenoord.

Friday's 2-1 friendly defeat to Sevilla still gave Ouaissa the chance to show his class, as he finished brilliantly after a flowing 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 possible with what I can do. I hope I am ready for that on Tuesday," says Ouaissa, who is frustrated by his ankle problems. "It is shit, the timing too."

"I don't think many people believe me, believed me. But fine, that is up to those people. I know my body best. I am normally not someone who gets injuries, but it is pure bad luck. And the timing too is pure bad luck." Dick Schreuder will have to decide on Tuesday how many minutes Ouaissa can handle at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus.

"At a certain point I started getting heavily 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 have to be fit. Why would I not train and not play matches? Especially not for that long?"

"But fine, 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 three-time Netherlands Under-21 international is under contract at De Goffert until mid-2028.

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