Rohr’s future continues to generate mixed reactions among Nigerians
Some football enthusiasts in Awka, Anambra on Thursday expressed mixed reactions on the future of Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr with the team.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Rohr had led the team to a third-place finish at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt.
The Eagles had won the bronze medals on Wednesday after beating Tunisia by a lone goal scored by Odion Ighalo in the third minute of the game.
The football enthusiasts told NAN the team would have made it to the final if the coaching crew had made better
selection and had a better tactical approach.
Emeka Okeke, a sports presenter, said Rohr lacked the technical know-how and made a bad selection of players.
Okeke said that most of the players he took to Egypt were less than average and were not doing well in their various clubs.
He said Rohr experimented with the players from the day he took charge of the team, adding that he should be shown the way out.
“We cannot be playing games at competitions with our hearts in our mouths, no confidence in both the players, the technical crew and the bench,” Okeke said.
Ikem Asika, a sports analyst, said Rohr showed he was not in firm control of his team and expressed worries that the domestic league has not attracted him since he was an employee.
Asika alleged that most players fielded by Rohr were foisted on him by “jobbers in the Glass House”, adding that no coach would do well under such condition.
“Any coach that knows his onions must insist on his players and game plan and not be pushed around on who should play or not,” he said.
Asia added that it was not proper for Daniel Akpeyi to play ahead of Francis Uzoho or Okechukwu Ezenwa if not by “special selection”.Jude Atupulazi, a journalist, said while the team might not have met the
expectations of their teeming fans, the players still deserve some accolade.
Atupulazi said Rohr should be given more time as there were chances he would do better with the team in the future.
“The team tried, coming third out of 24 nations. It isn’t easy. So, we may have to manage Rohr in order to sustain the progress being made.
“Look at the average age of our players. They are very young, and it means the future is bright. So, instead of starting afresh with a new gaffer let Rhor continue,” he said.
Read Also: Rohr: I will resolve my Eagles future in the next few weeks
“Many world-class coaches lose matches. So, Nigeria’s case should not be an exception,” he said. (NAN)