Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, says the ministry and the Nigeria Football Federation will discuss the suitability of Gernot Rohr as the Super Eagles coach after the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sierra Leone in Freetown on Tuesday.
The Eagles squandered a four-goal lead against the Leone Stars in the first leg of the double-header in Benin City on Friday, a result that irked football-crazy Nigerians, who insisted that the Franco-German be sacked as the national team coach.
“Nigerians have expressed a collective disappointment with the collapse of the team especially in the second half, giving up a 4-0 lead to a team that is ranked 88 times below our biggest football brand, the Super Eagles,” Dare said.
“I have expressed my disappointment to the team and the Nigeria Football Federation. Like most Nigerians, only a convincing win in Freetown can assuage our feelings and bruised egos. Only a win will be acceptable in Freetown.”
The minister added, “The task at the moment is to get the team firmly back on track towards picking one of the group’s two tickets on offer for the 2022 AFCON. A win in Freetown will seal a 19th participation in the African Mundial.
“After this, we can now debate Mr Rohr’s suitability as we seek to return Nigeria to the pedestal of African football and one of the beautiful game’s powerhouses in world football. We will reappraise Mr Rohr’s performance since he was named the Super Eagles manager and see if he is the right man to fulfil our expectations.”
Rohr has continuously excluded home-based stars since he was handed the Eagles job in 2016, but Dare says the domestic league has a big role to play in building a strong national team for the country.
“The success of our football can only be measured by the success of the domestic league. A thriving, professionally run domestic league in all cadres will impact positively on our national teams. That’s why I demanded a full implementation of FIFA and CAF club licensing regulations. This will bring us closer to making our leagues viable for investors and restore the confidence of all stakeholders.”
