Former Nigerian midfielder, Garba Lawal has condemned the decision of Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr to ignore the advice of the Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation, Austin Eguavoen in regards to watching matches of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) in order to build a formidable home-based team.
Lawal stated this on the backdrop of reports that some foreign-based players may fail to honour the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against the Squirrels of Benin and Crocodile of Lesotho due to the Covid-19 travel ban imposed by some European countries.
Speaking with Brilafm in an interview, Lawal faulted Rohr’s decision not to listen to Eguavoen’s call for him to monitor the NPFL in a bid to discover players that can be part of the Super Eagles in case of a situation like this.
Recall that Simon Moses was prevented by Nantes to attend the AFCON qualifiers and there reports that some key Super Eagles players may pull out from the games.
“This is the advice that Technical Director of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Austin Eguavoen always gives to Rohr (Gernot), that he should go around, watch our league so he can have home-based players, but it seems the White man is not ready to do that.”
“I’m also thinking, what if the foreign (based) players refused to arrive because of the COVID-19 situation and their Club’s refuse to allow them to leave, it is going to be a problem for the Nigeria Football Federation and for the National team because the game is just next week and we don’t have a plan B, what happens if the players don’t assemble. What do we do then?”
“Eguavoen was insisting on Rohr to go around, to watch our league and if he has been doing so this would have been an easy thing; he would have penciled down names of players to fill in any void. I pray their clubs will allow them come play otherwise this will be a big problem for us.”
“It’s a tricky situation, very difficult. That’s why it is good as a Coach to have your plan B. If he had our local players assemble for long this wouldn’t have been a problem. He’s been in Nigeria for over a month. He would have gone round, see those playing in the continent and in the league he would pick from there.
”But it seems he’s not ready to do that; Mr. Austin Eguavoen is busy telling him to go watch our league and it seems the White man is not ready to do that. Well in this situation what are we going to do.”
By Augustine Akhilomen
13 Comments
I’m surprised Mr Lawal, a former player is still tslking about ” building a solid home-based team.” There’s no such thing because the home-based are perpetually in transit, travelling in and out of NIGERIA to all parts of the world hoping to play football for a better life.
Thank you so much @ Ako Amadi. I don’t understand why people still can’t get it that inviting homebased players isn’t the problem but the invited ones becoming foreign no sooner they get invited. What if Eguavoen n others suggest a manager like Manu Garba to take over our homebased Chan eagles, whereby in times like this, work with Rohr to bring in some of those Chan SE to beef up the main stream SE. And overtime, we will end up having super rich blend.
Glory you’re right Manu will blend and discover more players if given the trust but you know Nigeria never gets it right. We will rather be seeing Salisu and bosso with zero discovery sense occupying positions.
What is the duty of SE assistant coach Mr Yobo? Or is he just a paper appointee? Rohr is monitoring foreign based, same Rohr you want him to monitor home based, it’s not that easy to cope Mr Lawal.
Sometimes, I don’t understand this Mr. Lawal. His actions and utterances most times, are as erratic as his performance during his SE days.
I agree with him in regards to having SE team B, which will comprise mostly of home based players. But Rohr shouldn’t be the one in charge of the team. Yobo or whoever the NFF deems fit, should be the one handling team B. Players who distinguish themselves in team B could be recommended for team A.
At the risk of qualification,the situation we have found ourselves could be a blessing in disguise. Some of our players who have been on the bench complaining of playing time, could see themselves being thrust into the deep end. Those that were initially on standby could see themselves playing some part in the two matches. In addition, invitation could be extended to some of the players being hyped by some of us here. In essence, we are about to watch and assess some of these players. The ball is now in their court to grab this unexpected opportunity and make us proud
Kill yourself if u don’t know what to do. Idiot talking about home based players every time as if they are that good. Ordinary CAF champions league non of nigeria club have manage to qualify for group stage for almost 3 seasons now but will always shouting home base home base because of their selfish interest. Those foreign base players he invited how many of their matches did he watch live? Isn’t it video clip as most of other coaches do in the world? Tell your spudid friends running Nigeria league to upgrade their league 8so as to attract more suitors instead of asking the poor coach to be travelling from Lagos to Maiduguri in other to watch one useless obscure league.
How many champions league trophies have ur foreign based pros won?people always say that the home based couldn’t qualify for ordinary chan, forgetting that the team was assembled barely two weeks before those matches against togo.same thing happened to our foreign based pros who couldn’t win a single gle match in 4 matches including blowing a four goal lead,excuses were made for them that they have not played football for over a year.the truth is that we have many mediocre players in our national team that can’t even make stand a chance with some home based players as at today.
So it is the home-based that will do what the foreign-based couldn’t do….? LMAO….When their own failures are perennial and more woeful. You are comparing not winning 4 matches and still topping your group to outright shambolic back to back tournament elimination losses to minnows like home-based Togo and Cape Verde….?
The earlier we realized there is nothing like home-based players but ‘players who have failed to make it to Europe’, the better for us and our decision making in football in Nigeria. Heck I still see the likes of Kwambe, Odunlami and Oshaniwa (Keshi’s raw diamonds of yesteryears) still flexing muscles in the league after being unable to have reasonable careers abroad despite all the money, energy and resources invested in them almost a decade ago….as a matter of fact only Oboabona could measure up to the level of Turkish league of all the lot. So what does that tell us about their true quality and standard….? And its not like things have changed for the better in 2021. Its still same old story or even worse.
Is it NFF that cannot pay bonuses for 2 years and planning to use ferry to transport our senior national team for an important competitive qualifier that will camp home-based players for weeks running to months like it was done in 2012…?
Some people are either far from reality or reality is far from them…!
@Michael i dont usually accuse anybody here about being football agents but man you are definitely an agent to one of these mediocre homebase players…you expect a coach to build a homebase team as “plan B” knowing full well that
1. They play in a stop-start league
2. They are one ‘international’ game away from leaving/running/fleeing Nigeria/NPFL
3. ‘They cant trap balls’ – coach
Did you watch the Orlando pirates vs Enyimba match that was played few days ago? You can’t watch that match and write this man.
@Michel Home based team fails simply because of below average coaches handling them. There are talent in Nigeria but we have bad management and very low quality coaches. I repeat again low quality coaches and their level of play will make you give up. For those saying players are leaving the league, there’s nothing new to that its been happening for ages but life must go on and we must still build and replace.
What is the job of Joseph Yobo. Is he the training session ball boy? Or fashion ambassador of the SE? Garba’s query should be directed at him or Pinnick to explain his political appointment. Rohr shouldn’t be everywhere.
Yobo is in either Kafanshan or Kaura Namoda.