FIVE YEARS in-charge of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Nigerians wonder, what the national team manager Gernot Rohr, has contributed or achieved in building a formidable national team for the country; with the crop of talented football professionals available to him.
Ahead of the playoffs toward the final qualification for Qatar 2022 World Cup, Nigerians are concerned about Super Eagles, likely, pairing with Ghana, Egypt, Cameroon, Mali or DR Congo, for a place; due to the dismal and unacceptable performance of the Super eagles during the group stage qualification.
Football analysts say, five years of Gernot Rohr in charge of the Super Eagles, have caused football loving Nigerians heartache watching their national team competing for a place in international football tournaments. They have never been as concerned and worried, watching the Super Eagles playing.
Gernot Rohr has not injected anything new into the players. The national team has not been built above an experimental team under Rohr’s watch. Nigeria, presently, seems not to have a formidable and competent Super Eagles, that will withstand other national teams in the Continent. So, Gernot Rohr must go, analysts argued.
When the speculative news broke that Gernot Rohr had been sacked by Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, the atmosphere in the football circle, and to football loving Nigerians, was a sigh of relief. This has, however, been refuted on Thursday, by the football body, that it has not sacked Gernot Rohr.
THE FEDERATION said “Rohr has a contract” with the body, and there are procedures for disengagement. When it gets to that “bridge”, both parties will look at the contract and consider what should be done. Any decision to be taken, must be what will be acceptable to Nigerians, considering the fact that the Super Eagles is a national asset.
The “Board of NFF”, the football body said, is looking into the report that the Technical Committee submitted after the unimpressive Super Eagles match with Cape Verde that ended 1-1, on Tuesday in Lagos. But confirmed that no decision has been taken to sack Gernot Rohr.
The present Super Eagles, unquestionably, parades talented foreign based professionals, yet struggle to qualify for both the Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup 2022, to be hosted by Qatar. Football analysts believe that Gernot Rohr’s five years in charge of the national team, has been wasted. Nothing to show for it.
SUNDAY DARE, Nigeria’s Minister of Sports, added his voice, to the clamour for the replacement of Rohr. He told journalist at the presidential villa, on Thursday, in Abuja, that the Sports of Ministry will adhere to due process on the issues of the national team and the technical staff.
He said the ministry is waiting for the report from the football federation, reviewing the recent matches and performances of the Super Eagles, before taking the necessary action. He assured that the NFF report will be ready next week.
The minister was, however, optimistic that the Super Eagles would qualify for Qatar 2022 World Cup. The authorities were doing everything to ensure the team’s qualification.
