Former Nigeria international Kadiri Ikhana has raised his voice to oppose the NFF’s decision to send Super Eagles manager, Gernot Rohr, to undergo a refresher training at German Bundesliga side, Bayern Munich, after the ongoing 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, Completesports.com reports.
Ikhana won the AFCON in 1980 with then Green Eagles and in 2003 as a coach led Enyimba to win the CAF Champions League, the first by any Nigeria coach or club. He was similarly voted as CAF Coach of the Year, 2003.
Following Super Eagles ouster in the semifinal of the Nations Cup by Algeria, many Nigerians have kept the pressure on the NFF to relieve the French-German tactician of his role.
But NFF boss, Amaju, prolaimed that the federation will not only retain Rohr, but will send him on refresher training at German Bundesliga side, Bayern Munich, after the African football showpiece in Egypt.
And this decision has not gone down well with Ikhana, with the tactician querying the rationale behind the it.
“If you feel Rohr has not done well, why not ask him to leave, that the honourable thing to do,” starts Ikhana.
“But if he has done well, why not, he stays. But sending him on a refresher training is what I cannot fathom out.
“Is it not a waste of resources? We have so many ex internationals in this country who are coaches. Why not send some of them on coaching clinics? After all, when they come back, it will be to the benefit our football generally rather than on a foreigner.
“I believe the team we took to Egypt was inexperienced, especially at this level. I also believe they come good in future. I don’t blame Rohr for the team’s ouster but you know a coach is said to be as good as his last result.
“When will our football administrators learn? Football has gone down, so low in this country. It is dead, to say the fact.
“Why should NFF be talking about spending more money to retrain someone who is on a huge salary? Why not take that money to train some young coaches who will in turn impact their knowledge on the development and improvement of the game in the country?
“It is sad and I just hope it is not true that NFF President never said what he was quoted to have said,” Ikhana concluded.
The Super Eagles will on Wednesday take on the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia in the 2019 AFCON Third-Place match at the Al Salam Stadium, Cairo, from 8pm Nigerian time.
Tunisia lost 1-0 to Teranga Lions of Senegal in the first semi final while Desert Foxes of Algeria edged out Nigeria’s Super Eagles 2-1 in the second semi final.
By Sab Osuji
12 Comments
Supported but Nigeria coaches should only be made to attend classes that teaches on how bad n retrogressive it is to collect bribe, before inviting players to national teams, as well as understanding that national team is not an item defined on quota system, be it for home based, foreign based,from d north, south,east or west but purely defined on d best talent anywhere found. For our home based coaches are good but only lacks work ethic; no transparency.
The NFF decision to retain Coach Rohr and send him on a refresher course is a clear indication that Amaju Pinnic do not have interest of the Country. He will retain Rohr provided he gets some percentage of Rohr ‘ $500000 salary. if not for corruption, why will Pinnic hire a coach that was fired by Niger and Chad and who has no coaching pedigree.
Coach Rohr has not done more than late Keshi who won the Nations Cup and qualified both Togo and Nigeria for the world Cup. He advanced Nigeria to 2nd round with little support and no salary.
Coach rohr needs to be sacked because he has no confidence in himself becuase he lacks technical know how to coach the SE. He underrates the SE in every competition we participate.
Amaju pinnic is a politician who is only interested in money.
Brilliant submission. Gernot Rohr has lost touch with modern football. Any coach with the crop of players at his disposal will not fare worse. Nigeria has not churned out players in good clubs and in top leagues like we now have for a long while. Let’s put sentiments aside. A Coach who went to the world cup just a year ago with 80% of same squad calls his side an underdog against the same opponent he defeated enroute the world cup. Who does that??
Now let me point out some salient reasons why we had no business losing to Algeria in the first place.
Where as most of the players we defeated have regressed, Nigeria on the other hand has gone on to discover Ndidi, Chukwueze, Onyekuru etc all playing in top leagues.
Bentaleb of Schalke (I think) didn’t come, Islami lost his shirt to a Qatar or Saudi based, Aisa Mandi (skipper then) is now in Spanish Secunda Liga, Ghoulam of Napoli injured (replaced by a home based) etc.
And their coach is a local coach for that matter.
I also laugh when some Rohr apologists on this forum speak about him qualifying ya for WC and making AFCON semi. Late Keshi won Afcon with more home based players in his starting eleven and also made WC second round. It’s an incontestable fact that he achieved that with players with less pedigree than Rohr paradedm
Mba was a home based, Godwin Obaobona was home based….
Awesome!!
Thanks for the excellent evaluation.
Your analysis is for the intelligent ones.
@Isaac you have say its all? am wandering what is wrong with some people, we all watch football week in, week out across Europe even pinnick himself as football lovers but today he claimed to retain rohr and take him for refresher cause in Germany despite high salary he earn? what is wrong with our people? You give some one a contract and he did not do anything new? he fail and refuse to accept responsibility? he is even claiming is not shame for the defeat? what exactly are we? black man country? monkeys
The fact that he was fired by those countries doesnt mean hes not good o pls. There are some countries that even if angels coach them they will never improve because football is not for every country. Pikin fail no mean say teacher na olodo o.
Khadiri is right.
Amaju pinnick is on a secret deal with rohr. Why not spend d money to freshen up and update ex internationals who have UEFA A licence only. Not B licence qualifications. Train amunike and finidi, ahkeugbu, adepoju, Siasia, eguavon, rufai, they have spilled blood playing for Nigeria so train them to upgrade dem knowhow. Instead of training an old German man a foreigner! Even polish should be considered cos he is good only that he get bad attitude. Amaju pinnick looks like a bad big moron. No intelligence. But he has taken over power of football just to run without brains. E wan go train old man that will soon retire! Tell rohr thanks for the world cup and nations cup appearances only by a football giant, and kiss him goodbye politely. It is called relieve of duty by mutual consent.
Even oliseh should be considered cos he is good. Not polish as I wrote. Pls correction
Kashi won the nation cup,but most of the local coach we have now are only interested in taking bribe.Rohr left his assistant to handle CHAN Eagles and what happened,he took bribe.so please let us continue with Rohr.There is lot of positives in our football now compared to the era of Sunday Oliseh and the others before him
Good talk bro. The fact Pinnick even moots the idea of refresher course for GR is an open indictment of his inadequacies. It’s only Nigeria who goes for coaches who were fired in small African countries. That’s how they brought in Phillip Trousier from.Burkinafaso then.
Niger….is that not a big shame?.
Send Daniel Amokachie, Amunike, Oliseh, Siasia etc on refresher courses.
A Coach who doesn’t know who to substitute or when to.
You equalized and had less than 15 mins and was under pressure. What do you do??
Take off an attacker for another attacker.
Why not bring in a defensive player to shore things up so you can drag the game to extra time and then unleash fresh attacking legs!
Same lack of tactical awareness he brazenly displayed against Argentina in Russia. 5 minutes to go and with all mounting pressure, he stood completely bereft of ideas. He had Onazi on the bench, Joel Obi and John Ogu yet allowed the Argies wear our defense down until they capitulated late on.