Dutchman Jo Bonfrere has posited that the present crop of young Super Eagles players have the potential to jell into a great squad and rule the continent if properly managed, Completesports.com reports.
Super Eagles won the bronze medal at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, following a hard fought 1-0 triumph over the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia in the Third-Place match on Wednesday.
And the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games soccer gold-winning coach of Nigeria U23s told Completesports.com that though the Gernot Rihr’s men did not achieve their 2019 AFCON dream in Egypt, they have shown there are better days ahead.
“Yes, they lacked tactics and cohesion at the Nations Cup. They were not creating the scoring chances be expected, but the players are young, they are good individually and if well managed, yes, they can do it (in future),” Bonfrere said.
“Nigeria has plenty talents. They are young and they can play together more. Yes, it will be a good team in the future”.
The Africa Cup of Nations silver medal winner in 2000 admitted Algeria deserved to win the AFCON 2019 title.
“The final was great, Senegal was good but, yes, Algeria played more tactics. They are the worthy champions of Africa.”
By Sab Osuji
33 Comments
Yes bofere Jo you have said it all but we wish Nigeria carry the day unfortunately we were very unlucky due to the fact that we lack quality and confidence in some department most especially our goal keeping area and defence and some areas in the attacking side
oga Jo still dey eyes eagle’s Job. Rohr shud continue,Musa,Akpeyi,shud Quit..Onyekuru take over from musa..Uzoho shud remain 3rd choice while search for first n second choice begin!
Do u think if d no 3 goal keeperror was in pole against Madagascar and Algeria eagles would ve lost …. far far far foul .or fowl . He will be on d neck of his back men. So as not to concede a goal as witness against argentina in d friendly. Then y did he allow den to score 2 goals in d w cup? Dey said he is shoutin at d defanders so he kept silence. So he his back as noba 1 be cause he didn’t concede against Tunisia. Yes oooo
Dat is Nigeria for 4u
For those who believes I hates or anybody hates Oga Rohr should please read have Mr. Jo said.
Mr. Jo is not a Nigerian but saw what went wrong with the team in Egypt. It wasn’t our prayers fault. They did well.
I will never joined the people that says our team is young and doesn’t have experience.
This team are way better that the one that won the trophy in South Africa. My team is young is not an excuse.
We told the coach that he didn’t have good goalkeepers but he turned his back to us. At first, coach Aloy Agu should be sacked and the rest of the coaching staffs.
“Yes, they lacked tactics and cohesion at the Nations Cup.”
Thank you Mr. Jo. For the past 3 years, this is what we got. Still, some of us including Mr. President wanted the coach to stay. That is Nigerians for you.
They will be calling you names now because you are telling us the bitter truth. We knew that already but most of us like deceiving themselves.
Who chosen Akpeyi to be no1?
Who selected the final squad?
Who chosen the tactics they used in Egypt?
Our people still believed that miracle will happens abi? No wonder they said Nigeria go better but when? 2019 is almost over still, Nigeria go better???? It is a shame ba. Oh yeah it is. It is well. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
Since Super eagles lost that Semifinal match you’ve found your voice to criticize Rohr but when we were winning you changed mouth now your back to your hypocrisy.
What do you have to say about the Madagascar match? WHICH OTHER TEAM DID MADAGASCAR BEAT THE WAY THEY TRASHED US?
For those who believes I hates or anybody hates Oga Rohr should please read what Mr. Jo said.
Mr. Jo is not a Nigerian but saw what went wrong with the team in Egypt. It wasn’t our prayers fault. They did well.
I will never joined the people that says our team is young and doesn’t have experience.
This team are way better that the one that won the trophy in South Africa. My team is young is not an excuse.
We told the coach that he didn’t have good goalkeepers but he turned his back to us. At first, coach Aloy Agu should be sacked and the rest of the coaching staffs.
“Yes, they lacked tactics and cohesion at the Nations Cup.”
Thank you Mr. Jo. For the past 3 years, this is what we got. Still, some of us including Mr. President wanted the coach to stay. That is Nigerians for you.
They will be calling you names now because you are telling us the bitter truth. We knew that already but most of us like deceiving themselves.
Who chosen Akpeyi to be no1?
Who selected the final squad?
Who chosen the tactics they used in Egypt?
Our people still believed that miracle will happens abi? No wonder they said Nigeria go better but when? 2019 is almost over still, Nigeria go better???? It is a shame ba. Oh yeah it is. It is well. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
CSN we prefer edit button to what you just added to the website. I appreciate your efforts. God bless you guys more. However, I meant to say players not prayers. God bless Nigeria!!!
@omo9ja why do you always rebroadcast any negative thing they said about the coach? Mr Bonfrerejo is entitled to his opinion. He is only saying his own. If he likes he can antagonise the coach more than that the truth is that his own time has passed. With due respect to him but I think he is not being professional cos i can’t remember ever seing coach like Guardiola or Mourinho talk about fellow coach the way he did. Like i always said, Rohr will not be super Eagles coach forever. I wished he can leave now.
Rohr Mets the likes of Akpeyi, Ezenwa, Musa, Mikel, Simon, Balogun, Omeruo, Ogu , Ekong,Etebo,Ighalo and Shehu here but players like Ekong, Etebo, Iwobi, Iheanacho, Simon became regulars under him. Indidi, Uzoho, Aina, Ebuehi, Onyekuru, Awaziem and Osimhen made their debut under him and players like.. Collins, Onuachu, Chukwueze, Ajayi and Kalu made their debut after world cup.
Truly..Rohr has been here for 3 years but the blending of the team was just 2 if not 1 and Half.
It took Westerhorf 5 years to build the best Naija Team in ’94.
Though there’ll still be additions of players because the so called first generation of the team will leave.
Though the team will be better with Rohr or without Rohr but he needs to be celebrated, he has tried.
I think he needs to be appreciated not celebrated
@sean point of corection ndidi made his debut under oliseh
Yes in friendly against Cameroon where he came in as a late substitute, but he made his competitive debut under Rohr.
IHEANACHO iwobi, ndidi were already regulars b4 rohr.
Wilfred Ndidi made him competitive debut for Nigeria on 3/9/2016 against Tanzania where he played 27 minutes.
Before that he played in 2 friendlies, one for 7 minutes and one for 27 minutes.
He was on the bench for two other games and not called up for the satin qualifiers and in the bench and did not play for the world cup qualifiers
Rohr started with Nigeria in August 2016. It’s fair to say he got his competitive debut and became a regular under Rohr.
It took Westerhorf 5 years to build indomitable team for Nigeria but did Super Eagles playing like this back then?
During coach Westerhof days, they had passion, love, vision, goal and determination to achieve something meaningful with a coach who knew what he was trying to accomplished with the team.
It is not about 3 years but what you be able to achieved. Third place in three years is a big achievement for a Country like Benin, Togo and so on but not for Nigeria.
With the caliber of players we have at the moment, third place shouldn’t be our place.
The most annoying thing is that in this year Afcon, most especially against Algeria, we didn’t play from start to finish. No patern or structure. We didn’t deserve the third place to be honest.
How would you be comparing 94 to 2019?
Did we have foreign players like this back then?
Upon that, they were playing fantastic football that everybody still talking about till today.
Mr. Westerhof achieved a lot within the 5 years with a solid team that has patern, team spirit, never say die spirit and winning mentality.
Stop comparing Mr. Westerhof to Mr. Rohr. The Difference is clear. This is not our real Super Eagles.
No creativity, no team players, our wingers can’t Cross ball for our strikers to score, that is why most of our strikers were struggling to score goals in Egypt. Example Onuachu.
I will advise you all that backing coach Rohr to go on YouTube to watch Jo Bonfrere and Mr. Westerhof interviews. These two coaches are the best so far.
If NFF refused to give our local coaches a chance to do the job, for me, I will rather having coach jo or coach Westerhof to be our next coach not coach Rohr.
I love coach and he has done well but if coach Rohr continues, Super Eagles will struggle. God bless Nigeria!!!
@Omo9ja, Ur so called full home based team went to 3 different nations cup..
Algiers 90, Senegal 92 and USA 94.
3rd in Senegal 92 and became 1st in 94.
We are 3rd now..so let’s see what happen next.
…and who says Majority of 94 Team are Home base? Do your research right.
There were 2 to 3 foreign base when Westerhorf took over in 89..but by that 94, 80 percent of them play Abroad.
Comparing Rhor and Westerhof is like comparing an Eagle and a pigeon.
The 2013 team is mot as good as this team but they had a better coach , Steven Keshi.
Keshi neutralized the Ivorians with a home based Sunday Mbah, Egwueke, Oboboma,etc won the AFCON in 2013 within one year of taking over as coach, qualified the SE for Brazil 2014 Played very entertaining games in Brazil.
Keshi was way better than Rhor not to mention Westerhof.
Mediocrity has eaten deep into the minds of many nigerians, that is why we accept anything and everything.
Pinnick has been impeached as CAF VP, by the same token a nation like the USA or England would have impeached him too from their FA.
Remember Sam Alerdise and the bribery scandal? Remember a Salisu and the NFf, you see how civilized world think and act.
Pinick and Rhor shpuld go
A point of correction please.Sir Pinnick deserve more better comments from you,rather than this one,it seems you have forgotten back in the days when nff struggle so much to assist sports administration.My friend wake up,I am not being political here,but he is surely one of the best NFF president lately.
Comparing Rhor and Westerhof is like comparing an Eagle and a pigeon.
The 2013 team is mot as good as this team but they had a better coach , Steven Keshi.
Keshi neutralized the Ivorians with a home based Sunday Mbah, Egwueke, Oboboma,etc won the AFCON in 2013 within one year of taking over as coach, qualified the SE for Brazil 2014 Played very entertaining games in Brazil.
Keshi was way better than Rhor not to mention Westerhof.
Mediocrity has eaten deep into the minds of many nigerians, that is why we accept anything and everything.
Pinnick has been impeached as CAF VP, by the same token a nation like the USA or England would have impeached him too from their FA.
Remember Sam Alerdise and the bribery scandal? Remember a Salisu and the NFf, you see how civilized world think and act.
Pinick and Rhor should go
What Jo Bonfrere said in the article above goes to the heart of the single most important criticism of Rohr’s handling of the Super Eagles over 3 years which is his questionable tactics.
Jo said: “Yes, they lacked tactics and cohesion at the Nations Cup. They were not creating the scoring chances be expected.”
However, the Dutchman provided some caveat when he added: “but the players are young, they are good individually and if well managed, yes, they can do it (in future).”
I think Rohr has managed the players well enough. However, on the basis of what we have seen thus far, does he have what it takes to take them to the next level; to manage them into an Afcon winning, world cup quarter finalist side?
@deo
Good question (be it rhetorical or not);
There are three types of coaches in the world of football;
1. Those that are basically man managers;they are good in managing the team,have great personal and human relationships with the players,staff and employees ,but lack in the tactical and technical department; people like Steve Bruce, Thijs Librecht, Solari,Klinsmann
2. There are those that are basically more tactical rather than being a man manager.they care more about the tactics ,not necessarily building personal relationships with the players,staff or Employees.
Mourinho,Van Gaal,Sarri ,Pep etc.
3. And you got those that are both technically sound and a great manager (in terms of man management); Ferguson, Klopp, Ancelloti,Wenger(in his hay days).these breed are rare..
For me,
I think Gernot Rohr is option 1.
He is basically a man manager and that’s why he has stayed this long with the national team.He has managed the team well enough,creating a serene atmosphere in the camp.have a good relationship with the FA.more like a father figure to the lads.so they all want to play for him.
But that’s how far it can go.
Although good.but football is a technical sport.you don’t win games by just being “fatherly”, games are also won when the game is well read,and organized tactically. On that,I don’t think Rohr has it.
He is tactically inept; yes,under him we have won games,did well; but that doesn’t mean he has it technically.
So we are stuck with the choice of remaining with this good man manager ,whose players want to play for and hope we keep winning on that basis alone ; or go for a more tactical savvy coach ..
The choice is for the FA to make.
But it’s certain ,the debate would go on…
Well said bro. I have nothing more to add.
Nail on the head, Mr. Hush.
Sometimes i ask myself what is wrong with black man mentality? Nigeria suppose to Emplore all those new generation ex internationals to coach our U15 and 17, 20 and 23 before they graduate to Super Eagles, NFF chairman suppose to JJ okocha or Oliseh or kanu who have played the game both home and abroad,thats how white people do. Nigeria football problem is politicians in NFF who dont know the game. let me tell Nigerias that we have world footballer of the year here in Nigeria but becos those type of players always come from poor families, no money to help them becos our coaches take bribe before they can invite you for U17 camp, pls allow all this ex internationals to help us discover hidden talent in our villages and township.
@Mr Hush. I think yours is the most balanced, logical and analytically apt comment I have read on this forum on this matter of Rohr. I believe you nailed it completely.
If Rohr should be forced to quit now, it will take Nigeria a very long time to get a coach as good as him.
The people seeking his resignation do not mean well for Nigeria football and it will be a step to be regretted forever.
Quote me anytime anyday
@deo
@bomboy
@debo
And all
My appreciation
was it rohr that caused the Nigerian player to foul the Algerian player or was it rohr that set the wall before mahrez scored…he should have substituted from the midfield yen yen yen…..who would he substitute? is it ndidi or etebo or iwobi….you people started complaining about Moses Simon and not playing onyekuru….buh Moses Simon brings more result than them …rohr was pressurised by Nigerian fans to bring in onyekuru…and for those saying rohr has no number one , he had ikeme but if not for sickness he would still be with us…u complained about uzoho , he played akpeyi now u are still complaining…messi scored a freekick against Liverpool in semi final champions league at Allison’s corner …why didn’t Allison catch it , nobody criticized Allison but praised messi…he should have shifted to that side well yen yen yen …… with mahrez being a top player he could have played it anywhere
I like Rohr and sincerely appreciate all the great things he has done for the super eagles
His report card is a good one and his records speaks well of his achievements.
However
My love will definitely increase of Pinnick and his NFF lead chieftains if they could just go and get Herve Renard who just quit as coach of Morocco before Cameroon or South Africa or any other ambitious african nation beat us to it.
Herve with an assistant in Sunday Oliseh, Kanu and Ike shorumu will take the super eagles to another level.
This is my candid personal opinion
God bless 9ja
GR should consider this newly signed rangers milfieder Joe aribo, he can play in multiple positions in midfield, central, attacking and defensive midfield, we also need Tammy Abraham to come and replace Ighalo.We need Lookman Ademola and also a good goalkeepers are needed in the super eagles. Please Mr. Rohr should try and talk to this players and convince them.
Useless Mr. Stream with useless mindset and opinion. ThankGod your opinion or decision is not bound on us. Please, keep it to your self.