Benin Republic head coach Gernot Rohr has backed embattled Francis Uzoho to impress if given the nod to man the post for the Super Eagles at this year’s AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire.
Uzoho made his Super Eagles debut under Rohr in a friendly game against Argentina in 2017.
His first appearance at a major tournament for Nigeria was also under Rohr at the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup.
However, Uzoho has come under heavy criticism from Nigerians no thanks to his poor displays in goal for the Eagles.
His poor performances led to the inclusion of Chippa United’s Stanley Nwabali, who could claim the first choice position in Côte d’Ivoire.
Speaking in an interview with former BBC reporter, Osasu Obayiuwana, Rohr believes Uzoho has what it takes to perform.
“Uzoho can do the job,” when asked about the goalkeeping issue in the Eagles.
Asked if he has confidence in him due to the fact that most Nigerians don’t, the German coach replied:”I don’t know if there is a better one.”
On his thoughts about the Eagles’ squad for the competition, Rohr said:”Nigeria is one of the favourites, of course. I saw the list. So many great players and [with] experience.”
Also Read: Peseiro: Osimhen Can Help Super Eagles Win AFCON Title
Also, on the attacking third of the team, the German coach stated:”The strikers are fantastic. They need stability to be complete.”
He also gave hints on how the team’s forwards can get goals in Côte d’Ivoire.
He added:“They can find the strikers with direct football.“
The Eagles will take on Guinea in a friendly on Monday 8 January, as part of preparations for the AFCON.
On 14 January, the three-time AFCON winners will open their Group A campaign against Equatorial Guinea.
31 Comments
I think so too Mr Rohr. It will be a good idea to offer Uzoho one more chance to redeem himself. If he messes up in the first match then he should be dropped for good.
Just my view, I will respect Peseiro’s choice.
This Uzoho issue is gradually convincing me of an underlying cultism in Super Eagles. The guy has nothing as criteria to dorn Nigerian jersey having failed to prove himself worthy many times.
He remains the most overated goalkeeper to have ever been invited to super eagles. Except there is an issue of cultist trying to protect their own within the fold, he has no business being in our national team.
I suspect sth sinister about it myself
More than cultism,why on earth will Ahmed Musa be in the team somebody that can’t play simple 30 minutes
@deo, how many chances will Uzoho get? it is not his inheritance as there are others who have not been given a chance. The world cup that launched Enyeama, maybe most people have forgotten but it was Ike Shorunmu who kept goal for the initial games. What if onigbinde was like most Uzoho supporters and continued to insist on Shorunmu (Not that Ike was bad by the way) but we would not have witnessed the coming of a goal keeper who is touted as one of the best in Africa and he was home based by the way. Insanity as they say is doing the same thing continuously and expecting a different outcome (Talking about this head scratching support for Uzoho). I was watching even olorunleke and he looked quite good but has never been given a chance even in friendlies. Reports emanating from camp has it that Nwabali is impressing and comes with a good reputation in S.A., why don’t we try him. If he fails , at least we tried something new( It will be less painful ) , than continuing with someone who has consistently failed the fans. Any right thinking coach would take him out of the line of fire but I am not sure our coach is that man. If he continues with him( I suspect he will, he us that clueless and arrogant) I can only imagine the sort of abuse , outrage that will come his way. It is not healthy. If he does get the nod, for his own sake , he had better do really well in goal.
thank you! you said it all!!
Golden Child,
Uzoho has really offended some shadowy powerful stakeholders in Nigerian football so much so that I doubt Peseiro will have the balls to start with Uzoho.
Having said that, I think Uzoho should start in the name of continuity.
Francis Uzoho is a top quality goalkeeper who has sadly lost his way in the last 2 seasons. Minimal game-time in club football hasn’t helped him. His glaring weakness in dealing with long range shots is well documented. But he ramains competent in other goalkeeping skills like distribution, parrying, punching and deflection at close range. Also, the formation used by Eguavoen and Peseiro with minimal defensive midfield apparatus hasn’t also helped Uzoho’s course.
Going into this tournament, he has kept the last 4 games for his club, winning 3 out of those games. Before then he was a perpetual bench-warmer.
Golden Child, I think the feel-good feeling of back playing and winning games with his club will boost his confidence for this Afcon. It will not surprise me one bit should Uzoho turn a corner if selected to be number one.
But, with Peseiro’s job on the line, I think pleasing some powerful shadowy stakeholders will be forefront on his mind. As these people no longer want Uzoho in the post, I think Peseiro will (sadly in my humble opinion) yeild to the caprices of these people.
I am in your corner but Gernot Rohr should shut the f..k up, leave us alone and focus on his job at Republic of Benin. He really needs to get over Nigeria….
Uzoho should first of all barb his hair, may be that’ll help him see the ball well!
It’s like you haven’t seen him lately
HE CAN’T DO NOTHING NOT A GOOD GOALKEEPER
@Rohr, why not take Uzoho with you to Benin?
I guessed you want the new coach to fail so you can be consider again for the SE job.But the good news is that you aren’t even going to AFCON, so watch from the sidelines
Abi o, can this man leave naija matter alone and focus on your squirrels. You can help him switch his citizenship for all i care. Most of all the boys you brought are now playing rubbish in the national team. wish peserio would wake up and rediscover new players. Imagine this brain dead coach saying Uzoho is the best so far. Rubbish
Abi o, can this man leave naija matter alone and focus on your squirrels. You can help him switch his citizenship for all i care. Most of all the boys you brought are now playing rubbish in the national team. wish peserio would wake up and rediscover new players. Imagine this brain dead coach saying Uzoho is the best so far. Rubbish
It will be in Rohr’s interest to advocate for Uzoho, is Benin not in our world cup group?
Uzoho made us not to go to the last world cup
Uzoho made us not to advance to the next stage in his first participation in world cup when we lost to Argentina that every team was beating then.
Uzoho’s goalkeeping errors are uncountable
Rohr wants him so we can fail
If Uzoho is the best that we have, then there’s no point we should go to Afcon.
Oga Rohr followers should see clearly today that this German coach called Gernot Rohr is an average coach who hide under our array of quality star players we had during his time with us.
As a good coach, if your number one goalie is fumbling and making mess of himself, the best thing to do is to replace. Isn’t it?
No wonder Oga Rohr has over relying on Ighalo and Akpeyi. He has no confidence as a coach.
Thank God we have asked NFF to let him go.
I am very angry when seeing Deo asking Nigerians to give Uzoho another chance.
What do you see in Uzoho that we have not seen?
Uzoho has been with Super Eagles for how many years?
Now Oga Rohr is still asking Uzoho to man the post for Nigeria in Ivory Coast. Can’t Oga Rohr leave us alone, ni?
I am waiting to see all of the Oga Rohr followers to come out in numbers to defend the former world-class coach of Nigeria that spent good six years with zero achievement.
Mind you, Oga Rohr, we have other fantastic goalies that are better than your favorite Uzoho in the Super Eagles.
This is why I will continue blaming the Nigeria Football Federation for hiring Oga Paseiro and Oga Rohr. Our own are far better than the two coaches.
Hmmm. Afcon is about to start, and it seems like Nigeria did not qualify for the tournament. Now you are asking Uzoho again to man the post. Kai, leave us alone, Oga Rohr. We have had enough of you. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
Uzoho has led his team to victories three of their last 4 league games. That is a massive boost for his confidence.
He should be given the opportunity to redeem himself, after all it was partly his contributions that qualfied us for the tournament.
Uzoho might yet shock a lot of people in this tournament.
He is a decent goalkeeper.
@ brodaman Deo, while I sincerely get your angle of reasoning as it concerns Uzoho and his recent performances with his club, I will strongly beg, that Peseiro be wise not to use him.
Club football is very different from international football. Uzoho will need at least 3 international games with top quality performances that will win loads of praises from fans to enter the kind of confidence and respect from team mates. Unfortunately we`ve only got one friendly match before our first match and first games performances go a long way, though things can still take a different dimension. Peseiro should just not get stupid to play Uzoho except the other two goal keepers are really really bad. INFACT PESEIRO SHOULD BORROW A LEAF FROM LADDAN BOSSO’S RESPONSE TO NWOSU’S CARELESS MISTAKES AT THE U-20 TOURNAMENT.
Glory,
Truth be told, Uzoho is in the black books of very many powerful Super Eagles stakeholders at the moment (due to the perception of his recent performances) , so much so that it could be suicide for Peseiro to start with him.
But Peseiro is his own man. He could elect to swim or sink with Uzoho.
You see, I can’t really refer to myself as an Uzoho fan. But I think the structural fragility of the formation and also match rustiness have played a part. Also his indecisiveness with dealing with long ball have let him down.
That said, for the sake of continuity and to harness other aspects of his skills where he shines, I think we should at least give him just one more opportunity to redeem himself.
@ Brodaman Deo , I dey on my knees dey beg ooo. Make Uzoho no smell that goal post for our first match oo. Lolzz.
To be fore warned is to be forearmed. We love him but it’s gonna be too risky to use him, as doing that will put lots of pressure on the defenders. Uzoho will most likely be ready by the time world cup qualifiers begins.
Make he still no smell that goal when world qualifiers start…lol.
Squad numbers released by caf of all the teams shows Uzoho wearing jersey number 1. It seems Peserio is thinking like Deo – ready to ride or die with him.
A good coach who wanted to nurture a national team in his image would have made goalkeeping position very competitive but no, Uzoho has Peserios mumu button.
Me sef want Peserio out so AFCON success is a huge turn off because AFCON 2025 and 8 2026 world cup qualifiers remain.
Risking short term success for the ultimate heartbreak is better imagined.
Please, let Peserio swim or sink with Uzoho. Please.
He already has strikers that will also “compete” with Osimhen for golden boot; I cringe when I think of the pace of his defenders.
Please, his last line of defense should not be imposed on him.
I stand with Peserio on Uzoho like Deo lol
Please after the AFCON whoever is in charge should please give this guy a trial. Might just give us a really good option in the attacking midfield going into the world cup qualifiers…
https://youtu.be/uTBn1Dm8UsA?si=ZSDe8gKRZa8A5a9v
When it comes to BELIEVING in PLAYERS and giving them confidence, no coach does it better than GENERAL ROAR…
We miss you GENERAL ROAR!
They can find the strikers with direct football.“ hope PESERO is listening to one of the best. Dont go and do all those old fashioned wing play bullshit ooo..
During GENERAL ROAR time we all saw how dominating the team was with direct play..
@Omo9ja, here you go again, always bite the finger that is feeding you. Our former Oga has every right to express his candid opinion regarding a player he knew so well. Your present coach doesn’t have to listen to him if he is sure of himself. Omo9ja, l doesn’t have to litigate again and again the incalculable damages that you and your wicked cohorts have brought upon Nigerian football since the last 5 years. However, be reminded that Oga Rohr left us at 32 world FIFA ratings. Today, we are #40 and going down. In reality, how are we sure we will qualify for the forthcoming FIFA World-Cup in USA? Again, Oga Rohr won us bronze in Egypt. Since you wickedly engineered and advocated the sacking of our able and competent coach Rohr, didn’t Nigeria fail to go the World Cup? Is Egueavon not a Nigeran/edoman as a coach? Please Omo9ja and cohorts, live our Oga Rohr alone. Move on or Nigeria football will continue to wallow in shame and disappointments in spite of the fact that we have the African best player in our mist.
Let’s look at our Gk situation holistically… who is GK TRAINER if not the 1 and only ABIODUN BARUWA… How can the keepers do well wen a legendary BASKETBALL is their trainer…
Well done peseiro 4 bringing a foreign Gk trainer
Choice of Nigeria’s number one goalkeeper should not be left in the hands of agents who are only interested in their pockets. The choice should be in the hands of the likes of good people who identified and selected Super Falcon’s current first choice goalkeeper: Chiamaka Nnadozie. Those people meant well for Nigeria and are good football technicians. It’s a good thing that women are pushing the frontiers of football in Nigeria right now to the shame of sycophants around Super Eagles. Some of them will quickly scold me that Super Falcon’s coach: Randy Waldrum is a college coach.
Let’s allow quality coaches, players and football administrators thrive in Nigeria.
Very strange indeed – Some people can and should never EVER be trusted!
I mean who needs enemies with the kind of “friends” Nigeria has – they are even attacking from within! WOW!
Anyone asking for Uzoho to still be in goal is an enemy of Nigeria!
Wicked people!
Rohr should either shut TF up as someone already said or adopt Calamity to play for his own team- why still talking about Nigeria?
As already noticed, it is an attempt to sabotage the current manager so that maybe he can somehow in his own mind come back into contention – talk about a deluded person. Furthermore we don’t need any help to know that the current man in charge is not worthy of the role, Peseiro is an impostor and a crooked journeyman, the sooner we see the back of this fake the better. But again the same can and should be said about most other sectors in the current Nigeria as we know it – staring from the ogas at the top – Govt, NFF, those running CSN etc etc – Every system in this country is CROOKED!
Only Baba God can save Nigeria – there’s no other way!
People who still think that this monkeybrain is a Nigerian need serious help – una brain no dey function at all that is if una even get brain self! – I swear am! Chaii!