Rohr fears Lesotho’s artificial pitch may injure Eagles’ players

Super Eagles head coach, Gernot Rohr is pained that his players would be playing on an artificial pitch in Lesotho in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier which he says puts them at the risk of getting injured.

The Eagles face the Crocodiles of Lesotho on November 17 three days after hosting Benin Republic at
the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo and the situation is not going down well with Rohr.

In an interview with London based journalist Osasu Obayiuwana on Twitter, Rohr said he is yet to get any response from the Confederation of Africa Football over the issue.

“I have spoken to @CAF_Online about these issues. But I am not getting any positive reply from them. It is not right. After the Benin game in Uyo, we travel to Lesotho and must be ready that Sunday. And we are playing on an artificial surface. This really does not help us,”

“I know there are many people that prefer that I don’t talk about this situation and just keep quiet. But the principles of football must be defended. Players like @Ndidi25 and @J_Aribo19 come from winter conditions. Without proper adaptation, they risk getting injured.”

The 67-year-old coach has threatened to take up the matter with the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro) to avoid a future occurrence.

Read Also: Rohr rules out benchwarmers against Benin, Lesotho

“They are being asked to play under impossible conditions by @CAF_Online This AFCON schedule is putting them at risk of injury. I am taking this matter up with @FIFProand Philippe Piat, its president. They must be concerned about players being put in this situation,” read the post on Obayiuwana’s twitter handle.