Former Nigerian striker, Jonathan Akpoborie has warned the Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr to beef up the team with a few numbers of players in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) in the eventuality that the invited foreign-based players are prevented by their clubs to play in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin and Lesotho.
Recall that on Wednesday, Nantes stopped Super Eagles winger, Simon Moses from honouring the game due to covid-19 travel ban.
And there have been reports that some key foreign based players in the team may be prevented also by their respective clubs.
Speaking with Completesports, Akpoborie urged Rohr to look inwards in order to avoid any fire brigade approach against Benin and Lesotho.
“This is not the time to start crying over players that may likely not feature in the game due to the Covid-19 travel ban imposed by some countries. However, this should give the Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr the opportunity to invite some of the NPFL players should the foreign base players fail to honour the match.
“Mind you, don’t blame the players for their absence, blame the clubs in Europe because they don’t want to lose their players for two weeks under quarantine. And as you know, we are at the peak of the season, where every team will need their players for the remaining fixtures.
“I am optimistic that the NPFL players will make Nigeria proud if Rohr decides to extend an invitation to them. He should avoid any form of fire brigade approach if he wants the team to qualify for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations.”
BREAKING: Akpoborie To Rohr: Invite Home-Based Players For AFCON Qualifiers If…
Cape Verde, Liberia, CAR Can't Stop Super Eagles 2022 World Cup Ambition - Akpoborie
Austin Akhilomen
Augustine Akhilomen is a passionate sports content writer. A fan of the Super Eagles and Chelsea. My aim is to promote the game of sports globally.
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## COVID-19 SAGA ##
THIS COUNTRY WE ARE,WE HAVE SAID IT TIME WITHOUT NUMBERS THAT WE CAN NEVER LEARN ANY LESSONS FROM ANY INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED. AND THAT IS D REASON WE WILL CONTINUE TO B DECEIVING OURSELVES TILL JESUS COME.
$$$ NIGERIA YOUTH WAKE UP AND LET MAKE OPERATION FLUSH-OUT IN 2023 ##
**** COVID-19 SAGA IS AN AVENUE TO DEVELOPE MADE-IN-NIGERIA. ****
WE ARE TIRED OF BAD GOVERNANCE !!!
## COVID-19 SAGA ##
THIS COUNTRY WE ARE,WE HAVE SAID IT TIME WITHOUT NUMBERS THAT WE CAN NEVER LEARN ANY LESSONS FROM ANY INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED. AND THAT IS D REASON WE WILL CONTINUE TO B DECEIVING OURSELVES TILL JESUS COME.
$$$ NIGERIA YOUTH WAKE UP AND LET MAKE OPERATION FLUSH-OUT IN 2023 ##
**** COVID-19 SAGA IS AN AVENUE TO DEVELOPE MADE-IN-NIGERIA. ****
WE ARE TIRED OF BAD GOVERNANCE !!!
Confirmed gbam
Same players dt Orlando pirates beat for south Africa if na sundown wentin go happen. Please no start all dx now. Our league is poor we sud accept dt.
Really am disappointed with that my Aba boy’s Enyimba boy’s
They played they re angry with each other… Even their captain Oladepo
That dying minutes goal pain..very cheap goal
I think what Jonathan said it quite right. I fault the NFF and GR in this regard. The NFF and GR should always have a plan B, C, even D sef. GR is not only coach to the foreign eagles, he was appointed as the coach of the SUPER EAGLES, which in my view includes the local guys playing in the league as well as the foreignbbased players. I understand that our best players ply their trade overseas but having GR handle the local eagles would make sure his playing philosophy is also instilled in these local players so in the event of last minute withdrawals, the local players can seamlessly join the team with minimal disruption in playing pattern. I also understand the argument that our clubsides haven’t been doing too well and the league hasn’t been on for awhile and also the problem of players electing to go to obscure leagues once capped by 9ja, all these are valid arguments but we all know what overdependence on foreign players caused us during the time of eguavon as the Olympic team coach back then. We should have learned by now. Afterall GR’s contract was revised so that he can be in Nigeria. I don’t think GR doing what Keshi did back then when he would camp the local players for a week or so and then they return to their clubs will be a bad idea. I understand their has to be an agreement between NFF and these clubs, but I do think its very possible. GR could even camp them on weekends, not ideal but its better than nothing. GR can really make a mark in 9ja if he wishes to do so. The beninoise coach is planning on doing thesame thing if his preferred players don’t show up. Its not as if NFF and GR just realized that foreign countries don’t require 14 days quarantine after returning from an overseas trip. Most of us here know if you travel anywhere that u are required to quarantine for some days. You are even required to provide proof of negative test before boarding any airplanes these days. So they (NFF and GR) should have planned for this possibility. Its not too late, NFF should confirm which players can make the trip and start looking at players locally that can be camped asap to help them better understand GR playing philosophy. NFF and GR shouldn’t complain as all countries Benin included are experiencing similar problems. IMHO
Exactly @Proudly9ja
I think the FA and Rohr erred here.
The question then arise. What’s Yobo’s job?! Who monitors the home based players? What about the Fa technical department? What are their duties?
We should have atleast have penciled down a back up list of home based players just in case. That should have been part of our standby.
Players from Rivers United and Enyimba (they both went furthest on the continent played more games and gotten that continental feel..); and players from high flying Rangers and Kwara united,both doing practically well in the league so far could have done well to be called up.
This is where teams like South Africa and the Magreb nations would feel comfortable. They wouldn’t be nearly affected by this crisis at hand since they got some quality reserved back home that can fill in well into the national team.
Ghana as well, planned ahead. The coach of Ghana have been working with a group of local based players in camp for a while now. In fact, they recently played a friendly match against a local team ( where Gyan plays). From the look of things, they fully prepared and ready to go.
That said, it is better late than never; we can still send some invitations to some home based players or because of lack of trust on the quality of local players , send an invite to those in European leagues that aren’t affected by this ban; right now, those are few.
Very valid n valuable point from @ Proudly nijia and @ Hush. If I must add, I ‘d suggest Manu Garba be made to work with Rohr in raising a very good homebased SE team that can solidly represent, especially in times like this. I honestly believe Manu Garba n Rohr combo can produce something spectacular for nigeria.
@Hush, well said bro.
@Glory that idea of Manu Garba is a very good one. Instead of Yobo, Manu should have been the man to occupy that position. Amuneke (who i do like) that people are clamoring for nor reach Manu level. I prefer manu’s team anytime anyday. The moni wen NFF wan use send GR for refresher should have been spent on Manu, I swear. The way Manu team dey tap leather is the way 9ja should be playing. That should be our template, 4get that his team didn’t go too far in the last u17 but even a blind man could see the skills and huge potential that team possessed. If not for NFF interference that team would have excelled.if Manu had been given a free hand to do his job, i believe his team would have gone far in that tournament. When Manu’s team plays, u are not scared of the outcome, even when his team loses, u know the team still played well. IMHO
Those ones that cannot defeat Orlando Pirates? GR should focus on those playing in Africa instead.
@Glory
While I respect Manu’s understanding of the game ,the Nigerian local terrain and his working relationship with Rohr, which was fantastic ; I think he shouldn’t be called upon. He has a bad dent in his record , one that does him and the team no good. We all know why he was released at the first place. He simply can’t be trusted.
In furtherance to my above piece (before I am miscontrued), that I stated that home based players should have been called upon as a back up doesn’t take away the fact that I know how deprived the Nigerian league is. But in precarious times,decisions have to be made. Not all decisions are desirable but in tight situations,the undesirable becomes necessary. We are in a tight situation.
No matter how bad our boys are;atleast Enyimba is still in the continent. There isn’t any Ghanaian team in the continent. AND Ghana got home based prepping up just in case. Not because the Ghanaian league players are superb, they simply got no choice. Same goes for other Africa countries at the moment.
The likes of Cameroon,Even the Benin we are playing against, invited players from our League!
Even if we chose to invite only Nigerian players based in the African continent and not from the Nigerian league; how many good ones are out there? Most are basically economic journey men and mercenaries. Isn’t it wise to pick from back home ,atleast you know them and there is already an understanding harnessed amongst players.
Besides, the national team is different from clubside. Different tactics and set up. It all falls down to the national team coach and how he handles these local boys.
All being said, I hope the ban doesn’t affect the boys from coming down or we might have a plug in our wheels.
Some e-warriors will not like these statements from Jonathan akpoborie.These are the things i have been saying.Nigerian League has talents and the only thing needed is just small exposure like few friendly matches of the selected players.GR should go and watch Super eagles Team B vs Athletico Madrid match that took place here in Nigeria sometime ago.Some persons that have never watch our local league games will start saying rubbish (Indomie Generation)
Use only Enyimba FC boys and we will beat Benin and Lesotho hands down.God continue to keep Late Amodu shuaib soul in peace.
Peter Olayinka should be invited to play against Benin and Lesotho for AFCON games by coach Rohr. He does not deserve to be placed on the stand-by list. His performances for Slavia Prague in Europa league speaks for itself. He even scored a brilliant goal against Rangers and played very well. He is very skillful and full of energy, and is also a good, intelligent team player. Coach Rohr, please do the needful and invite Peter Olayinka for the Super Eagles now.
Owing to players in France and England likely leave from the forthcoming games… touted to be around 8 players in all, it would be decent for our coach to look in the direction of One like Junior Ajayi who plays in Egypt and does not have to deal with the public health safety administrative regulation surrounding Covid… if players from NPFL will be drafted in, it would be wisdom to call him up since usual regulars will be sitting out the next two games… atleast those who hold him in regard like me will be convinced afterwards he does not cut the true quality of a potential Super Eagle if he fails to convince… I mean he is in nearby Egypt! My humble opinion though…
Honestly @ Jimmyball, there can never be a better time than now to call up Junior Ajayi and if that eventually happens, for Ajayi/ other invited fringe players to change Rohr’s rhetorics.
@ Hush, sure Manu sadly let down his guard over players selection during his last assignment, That been said, we can atleast forgive him with the understanding there might have been too many external powerful interferences, as presently experience by Rohr, for which he Manu, didn’t enjoy any form of FIFA protection. Manu is known for always producing exciting teams with cutting edge attacking football. I was one of his most vocal critic over his double standard in players selection. My critisicm was only borne out my frustration of seeing such a gifted coach nigeria is lucky to have, cheaply mess a blossoming career up. I trust that if well protected,Manu will give Nigeria a homebased SE every soccer loving nigerian will be so proud of and rely upon in times like this.
I have said this before now. I’m shaking my head for Nigeria and our leaders.
I said it that it would be in our interest to have Team A, team B and if possible Team C. And also, Oga Rohr should have Plan A,B and C.
What did you guys said to me then? You remember? Now, see what is happening my people.
We never learned from the past mistakes Nigerians.
Where are the Oga Rohr followers, NFF and Oga Rohr himself now?
I have said my own and I am watching you all now. Good luck Super Eagles. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!