Nigeria Football

Penny-wise Nigeria stick with struggling coach Rohr

Nigeria will resist the temptation to sack under-fire coach Gernot Rohr despite a worrying winless run, national team chiefs insisted Friday (November 20).

Sports minister Sunday Dare questioned the competence of the German coach after the Super Eagles failed to win a match this year, drawing three times and losing once.

“Nigerian football deserves better,” Dare said in a recent tweet.

But football authorities are less keen to go for the gun confirming Rohr would continue to lead Nigeria to the Africa Cup of Nations in 2022 as well as the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“Rohr has done well as our coach, qualifying us for the World Cup and finishing third at the AFCON. It was the same coach who beat Argentina and drew with Brazil in friendlies,” Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick explained.

“He has our full support.”

“Sacking Rohr is not as easy as Nigerians see it, the football federation would have to pay him off,” he said.

Such a pay-off is reportedly put at around $1.2 million. Two of the draws were with Sierra Leone, who are ranked 120th in the world by FIFA, and it included a 4-4 draw in Benin City, southern Nigeria, where the home team led 4-0 after half an hour.

After the Sierra Leone matches former international Yakubu Aiyegbeni described Rohr as “Nigeria’s worst ever coach.”

Rohr recently signed a new two-year contract, with a monthly pay of $45,000. With Rohr as coach, Nigeria has won 29 matches, drew 14 and lost 10.

© Agence France-Presse

Tom Kirkwood

Recent Posts

Marathon magic in New York and Soweto

Competitive racing was the order of the day at the TCS New York City Marathon…

11 hours ago

Mainz 05 Inspires Youth at Totalsport Safe-Hub in Alexandra

A coaching team from Bundesliga club 1.FSV Mainz 05 visited Totalsport Safe-Hub in Alexandra for…

5 days ago

Spotlight on African basketball talent and milestones as NBA’s 2024/25 season takes off

An NBA season packed with African talent and colourful courts is underway, with games available…

1 week ago

Tsitsikamma and Trail Running – setting the gold standard for inclusive conservation

Victor Mokoena and his team in the Tsitsikamma section of the Garden Route National Park…

2 weeks ago

Xaba and Tola re-write the record books at Sanlam’s Cape Town Marathon

Rising Ethiopian marathon star, Abdisa Tola, and South Africa’s running great, Glenrose ‘Supercharger’ Xaba, created…

3 weeks ago

Collin and Tayla shine on Day One of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon weekend

Zimbabwean Collin Kanyimo and British athlete Catherine Williamson took the trail honours in the 44km…

3 weeks ago