Gernot Rohr sacked, Eguavoen now Super Eagles Coach

 

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has finally sacked the Super Eagles Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr.

The NFF announced that former Eagles Captain Austin Eguavoen will take charge as interim manager ahead of the 2022 AFCON tournament in Cameroun.

He will be assisted by Salisu Yusuf (Chief Coach); Paul Aigbogun (Assistant Coach); Joseph Yobo (Assistant Coach); Dr Terry Eguaoje (Assistant Coach) and Aloysius Agu (Goalkeeper Trainer).

Former Nigeria captains Augustine ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu and Garba Lawal will provide technical and ambassadorial support for the crew.

These decisions were taken after a virtual meeting of the NFF Executive Committee on Sunday.

“The relationship between the Nigeria Football Federation and Mr Rohr has come to an end. We thank him for his services to the Super Eagles and Nigeria,” said Mohammed Sanusi, General Secretary of the NFF.

“We also want to thank the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports for their collaboration and guidance all through.”

Borrowed Time

Gernot Rohr, who has been in charge of the three –time African champions for the past 64 months, is Nigeria’s longest –serving manager.

He took charge in 2016 after Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2015 AFCON tournament in Equatorial Guinea.

Since then, the Franco-German has led the team to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia – which they exited in round one – and the 2019 AFCON in Egypt in which Nigeria placed third.

But his days with the team were clearly numbered after a series of very uninspiring performances at home in the 2022 AFCON qualifiers as well as the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

A shocking 4-4 home draw with Sierra Leone, a hugely disappointing 0-1 home loss to Central Africa Republic (CAR) and a painfully poor 1-1 home draw against Cape Verde sealed the fate of the former German International defender.

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Nigerians of all works of life simply had enough and it was clear that the Football authorities would swing the hammer.

The sacking of the dour German tactician brings to an end a period of uninspiring play, conservative tactics and a complete unfamiliarity with the entire Nigerian national football set-up that angered football purists.

Work

Eguavoen, a former Nigeria captain, is not new to the Eagles coaching set-up.

He was coach of the squad when it finished in third place at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in 2006.

In his playing days he was also an on-field captain when the Super Eagles lifted the Africa Cup for the first time on away ground, in Tunisia 27 years ago.

He will now take charge of the team as it begins preparations for the 33^rd Africa Cup of Nations taking place in Cameroon 9^th January – 6^th February 2022, and until the appointment of a substantive Head Coach.

 

 

Mazino Dickson