Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr has expressed satisfaction with the performance of his team against Liberia.
The Eagles kicked off their Group C Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers with a 2-0 win against Liberia at the Teslim Balogun Stadium on Friday.
First half brace from Kelechi Iheanacho helped the three-time AFCON winners to the perfect start.
The win put the Eagles top on the standing with Cape Verde and Central Africa Republic on a point each.
And reacting to the win, Rohr said:”Job has been done, we had to win our first game at home and we didn’t want to concede a goal also to show that now we are stable behind, so for four or five games now we didn’t concede a goal.
“We knew some of our players have to leave after the match and they had to do well before leaving because they cannot go to Cape Verde.
“We scored our two goals in the first half and we were calm and played our football but under difficult conditions because after the rain the pitch was not easy to play for the two teams but we had to adapt under the circumstances.
“Nine players are leaving so there will be another team. It’s not easy to beat another team in only two days and also to play on synthetic pitch especially after playing on a dry grass.”
And on the next game against Cape Verde, the German admits it will be tougher than the clash with Liberia.
“Now we have to build another team so it’s a challenge for the staff and the players. But we have to show our solidarity and for the players coming in now, who will be 20 going for the game. We will have to manage the situation and I believe our team will put in another good performance even knowing it will be a more difficult game than Liberia.”
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COMMENTS
“Nine players are leaving so there will be another team. It’s not easy to beat another team in only two days and also to play on synthetic pitch especially after playing on a dry grass.”
You are already giving excuses as usual coach. You have chosen the players by yourself and so, don’t complain because you have the capable replacements for the absentees in every position in the Super Eagles team.
We accepted the excuses yesterday due to the bad pitch but again, Super Eagles played against Sudan an away match that ended 4-0 in favor of Nigeria which our players played the match on a bad pitch, Super Eagles were preparing for 2002 world cup then and Aghahowa, Jay Jay, Yakubu and another player all scored on that bad pitch and the manager in charge of that team didn’t complain because we are Nigerians and no matter the situation we found ourselves, we pray and we conquered.
So, I have been saying this for a while that you should stop relying too much on certain players and that is going to affect the philosophy of the game against Cape Verde and also, your team is nothing to write home about whenever playing against a well and sound opponents.
For me, I don’t expect you to win that match but if you do, I will come on CSN to congratulate you.
Cape Verde is a strong opponent and that match may determine whether you are staying with Super Eagles or not.
The players you have in camp are good enough to beat any team if you use them in their natural positions and you have a game plan that can work for your team.
You boys are professionals and having Nwakali with the boys would have helping the Super Eagles against Cape Verde but you didn’t look his side.
So, your destiny is in your hands coach. I can only pray for you and your boys. Go and make Nigeria proud against Cape Verde. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
@omo9ja I hope I got you right. A coach trying bto build a solid team and you are asking him to stop using the same players. It’s normal to buidk your team around certain players if they are still doing very well for team chemistry.
Why is it that anytime the coach raises a concern, we tend to look at it as he’s making excuses for failure. @OmoNaija, I don’t know if you are working or not, but if you were, is everything ok, or perfect where you earn your daily breaf? Are there no things you’d love the management to change? Are there no challenges that could affect your real output of not addrressed? Now, if you raise a concern about these, does it mean you are making excuses for failure? Rohr had foreseen this shortage in personnel with regards to our next match. Reason he invited lots of players, but it doesn’t mean he can’t talk about it. It’s just normal. Stop making a mole out of a mountain. We should encourage this man and not the other way round.
So if nwakali is their it’s a sure thing that eagles will win abi? No worry ur enyama , Amuneke nd egbo ho doing take over just keep ranting without objectivity
Omo 9ja u are sounding like a cameroonian
I don’t think Rohr rates Kelechi Nwakali as some of us do…
I tell you it is strange that the natural playmaker of the team and heir to Mikel is not integrated in the team for ages despite keeping fit. I’m hoping to see innocent Bonke of Malmo given a chance else I don’t know what to say a again and the other defender he invited that keeps possession well and makes timely passes (Anthony Izuchukwu) Oga didn’t invite him this time of urgency. I find it strange that Ozowanfor is Choosen ahead of Anthony Izuchukwu.
I hope a good number playing the Tuesday match also got at least few minutes in yesterday’s match. That scoreline was meh, but let’s look past that cos of the soggy pitch. It appeared everyoone (particularly Osimhen) wanted to be on the score sheet. Team play first. Leave or pass it for the better placed team mate.
But then, the next one will not be on natural grass. Are you going to prepare the boys on synthetic pitch too – something similar in Cape Verde? So there won’t be excuses. The worst result you could have there is a draw.
FIFA/CAF should get rid of synthetic pitches altogether, otherwise some teams would be at advantage over others. Let there be uniformity
@KangA, I just tire. Maybe that’s if FIFA take over CAF administration. CAF is toothless. Cape Verde has been doing this forever, yet no caution. Even UK too is now determining the strength of African teams. Everybody just doing as they like as if there’s no central admin.
We thought Hayatou was a sit-tight dictator like his country president, Paul Biya. They brought in Ahmad who then shockingly started a downward spiral, even with SA’s Motsepe there now. Their broadcast partnership with Supersport is off and we have to go to YouTube to watch live matches or endure NTA’s 90 minutes of 1982 analogue torture.
Kelechi scores when played as supporting striker with a good striker. Rohr should take note and hand the left bomber more freedom to do his thing more frequently. I would have loved to see Ejuke Nigerian Sterling given more minutes because he is the most unpredictable weapon we have in the team that must be utilized.
What I learnt from the game
1. Such a terrible ancient pitch. A disgrace to modern football. No wonder Rohr insisted on Uyo. Lagos state of all States can’t provide a standard international stadium? Nigeria cannot attempt to bid to host any world cup tournament in incoming years and it’s so terrible. No digital board too? FIFA really needs to sanction the NFF. Is that how poor we are?
2. To the match itself. I personally cannot put 100% blame on the pitch. Thank God because we got the 3 points. Iheanacho delivers, applaudise.
Iheanacho is not a good no 10. It is all over him. I’ll describe him as rather an ‘incomplete’ striker. He’s very good, very very good at finishing but he’s not that 10 we’re looking for. I didn’t see enough connections between the midfield and the striker. As good as he is, he cannot be our 10. He’s not a good passer of the ball. Who gave him set piece responsibilities? I think he’s better used as a second striker and not an attacking midfielder. There was a time he was supposed to give Iwobi a through pass but he added one more dribble which caused Iwobi to run to an offside position. A good amf would have released the pass in time. I think it’s Kels that should be given these cameo appearances we’re giving Onuachu. Not an Onuachu fan though , I just believe Kels can show up better in those dying moments like he did against Cameroon years ago when we won 4-0.
Most of the time when Kels receives the ball, he stands for a few secs and then passes backwards. He gets dispossessed mostly when he attempts to take on players. He’s not got that dribbling stuff. If only Eberechi would join us…
But seeing yesterday’s match, which player born abroad will desire to join us? These are basic things that we can use to lure these guys. But no, Nigeria will not provide them and still bant these players it is well.
I think our best shot at amf at the moment is Iwobi. Iwobi I think is much better in that free role position. Even if it’s Musa we’ll use on the wing. Next I believe is Etebo. As far as I’m concerned, using Aribo as 8 and Kels as 10 is a bad combo. Aribo thrives more in a 3 man midfield when he has the privilege of staying upfront. He was just on the wings severally yesterday. If we want to keep using Kels as 10, I think Etebo is our best shot at 8. Who says we can’t use Etebo as 10 too? Maybe due to shortage in midfield. Rohr used to swap 10 and 8 between Mikel and Etebo. I saw that in the world cup.
We also need to improve on our set pieces. What’s the plan? Don’t they practice corners in training? I think the best set piece taker we have right now is Etebo. We need to work on that. If only Eberechi Eze was here. Hmmm
I don’t know if it’s the state of that pitch but, I also saw us going long. Really long. Those Long balls didn’t work for us at all.
Maybe its the state of the pitch that made them play that way. I really believe in short passes.
Thank God we had the 3 points. I hops for a better performance vs cape Verde.
I don’t think Iheanacho played 10 yesterday. I think he was used as a supporting striker.
Yes, Iheanacho played as a supporting striker behind Osihmen while Iwobi played the no.10 role. That Iheanacho wore the no.10 jersey does not neccessirily means he played the no.10. For Iwobi who played the no.10 role providing two assists is satisfactory enough.
@legnedary some errors in your post, though I agree with not using kels as a number 10.
1. Kels did not play as 10 yesterday
2. Kels is a good passer of the ball. Check his under 17 days. Check the pass he gave oshimen against Lesotho
3. The best free kcik taker in the team is Simon Moses. Though they akwsy try to use ekong to do the long shot.
@omo mumu, Rohr said “build” not “beat”. CSN repeat making errors that omo-mumu will always capitalize on to spew rubbish as always.