2018/2019 EUROPEAN SEASON: Rohr woos clubs for Eagles’ stars

Determined to ensure that only players who play regularly feature in Nigeria’s preparations for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations holding in Cameroon, the team’s manager Gernot Rohr plans to comb Europe for clubs willing to field Nigerian stars in their first team squads.

Sportinglife.ng gathered that Rohr plans to commence a tour of Europe where he hopes to finalise discussions with some European clubs on the possibility of recruiting budding Nigerian stars who his scouts have penciled
down to form the pivot of the team in subsequent matches, especially the Africa Cup of Nations holding in Cameroon.

Already, Rohr has established a working relationship with European club’s technical staff where Eagles stars who played at the Russia 2018 World Cup, a ploy he used to get some of his players who were not playing regularly to star for the clubs after talks with their managers.

In fact, Rohr held discussions with his players to chart the way forward for their careers, with words rife that he
challenge those who didn’t play regularly last season to shop for new clubs where they would wear first shirt jerseys as a
matter of right not to warm such clubs’ reserve benches.

In a terse text message sent to Rohr on telephone on Friday night, he responded that, ‘‘I want to help some players to find better clubs. I also want to be in touch with their clubs’ technical staff.’’

‘‘I’m not one of those talking about sacking Rohr because I know that he just signed a two-year renewal of his contract. His team is young which he hopes to build on with young lads such as Henry Onyekuru, Victor Osimen, Kelechi Nwakali, Usman Mohammed and Junior Lokosa, who will now join the Russia 2018 World Cup squad to prepare for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations holding in Cameroon,’’ NFF President Amaju Pinnick told Sportinglife.ng in Moscow.