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Odegbami: A ‘Jose Mourinho’ or a ‘Thunder Balogun’ for the Super Eagles! (Part 3)

Odegbami: A ‘Jose Mourinho’ or a ‘Thunder Balogun’ for the Super Eagles! (Part 3)

The Super Eagles can win the World Cup in the next 10 years, at the championships of 2026 or 2030. That should be Nigerians’ next target.

In 1994, at the USA ‘94 World Cup, with 14 minutes to go and playing against 3 times World Champions at the time, Italy, Nigeria was firmly on the periphery of creating the biggest upset in World Cup history by defeating Italy and advancing, on the basis of outstanding performance (not luck), to challenge for a place amongst the last 16 teams.

Looking back now, I imagine a scenario where, with the same 14 minutes to go, the Super Eagles had on their bench any one of Jose Mourinho, Diego Simone, Carlos Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola, Jürgen Klopp, or even late Nigerian, Teslim ‘Thunder’ Balogun, as coach.

Any one of these coaches would have become the 12th player on the field on that day. At that point in time, when the Nigerian team was cruising to an almost certain victory and started to toy with the ball, the coach would have been moving up and down by the sidelines hugging the playing field, shouting out instructions that may not even be mostly heard, annoying the opposing team and even match officials with distractive theatrics, charging and directing the Nigerian players to ‘kill’ the game and do whatever they had to do to hold out against an increasingly frustrated Italian team playing with one man down.

jose-mourinho-tottenham-hotspur-west-ham-london-stadium-dele-alli-harry-kane-son-heung-min-lucas-moura-michail-antonio-angelo-ogbonna-super-eagles-world-cup-gernot-rohr

Jose Mourinho

Mourinho, for example, takes critical moments in a match so seriously that he once sacked his own team doctor for entering the field ‘too early’ to help his own injured player. The same man rushed to hug a ball boy that had returned a ball that had gone out of play very quickly to his own player, an unscripted act that resulted in a goal that changed the course of the match.

Also Read – Odegbami: Letter to President, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR

These ‘new’ generation coaches do ‘crazy’ things in the course of a match that have become a part of winning strategies and tactics. They may not always win, because football is an unpredictable game after all, but no one can accuse them of not doing enough, or not giving enough of everything they know and have to offer, to win matches. Their records therefore speak volumes. That’s why they are listed amongst the best 10 coaches in the world, with the exception of Teslim who passed on in 1972, probably when some of them were in their diapers.

These are managers whose actions and critical decisions on the field of play have, through the years, impacted and influenced the course of matches, and separated the boys from the men in the game of football.

Nigerians are a peculiar breed of the human species. In my limited experience, and without any scientific data to support my assertion, I believe Nigerians are different from every other Black homo sapiens in their general comportment, mannerisms, values, aggression and confidence level in all things. What motivates the Nigerian is different from that of all other Black folks partly because with him the cultural colonisation process was not completed before political Independence came. This carries on to the football field and to Nigerian football players, largely.

So, to successfully manage a Nigerian team requires some special skills and special attention. Westerhof got the psychology of the team right, but failed because he lacked the depth in tactical ability, that fine edge that makes all the difference between winning and losing difficult and critical football matches.

That’s why for a team such as Nigeria, with players that have a unique temperament that only Westerhof has been able to identify better than any other foreign coach before and after him, and for which reason also he has been the most successful amongst the foreign coaches by deploying this knowledge to good and effective use, there is a need for the services of a coach that can do what Westerhof did managerially and psychologically, and add to that the missing ingredient ( deep tactical knowledge) so as to get the best of the physical, quick, intelligent, sharp, aggressive, hard-fighting and never-say-die Nigerian team that Westerhof’s Green Eagles were.

Jose Mourinho in charge of that team to USA ’94, even with his defensive tactics, or Ancelotti, or Pep Guardiola, or anyone of several of the best coaches in the world, would have effected some changes and given some instructions, and charged the players to secure their lead against Italy and progressed in the World Cup that year.

Also in 1998, a tactically savvy manager would have recognized the technically organized disciplined style of Denmark and crafted a counter measure for the Super Eagles to deal with it very easily and moved on to the second round after playing one of the matches of the tournament in defeating one of the best teams in the world at the time, Spain.

Also Read: Rohr To Decide Super Eagles Future In January

Bora Milutinovic, had no such knowledge, or carriage, or even temperament to alter the course of the match against Denmark and Nigeria lost out again to tactical deficiency.

Forget about what happened in South Africa in 2010 with Lars Lagerback, the Swedish International turned coach. He came in too late in the day to join the Nigerian team that before he even settled in to understand the team, the Eagles had been humiliated and bundled out of the World Cup.

gernot-rohr-super-eagles-ahmed-musa-victor-moses-afcon-2019-africa-cup-of-nations-jose-mourinho-world-cup

Gernot Rohr

In 2018, even with the average team that Nigeria presented in Russia, a team that showed intermittent brilliance, with Jürgen Klopp, or a Luis Van Gaal, or a Pep Guardiola, or any of the decent tacticians in European football in charge, Nigeria would have ‘stolen’ the match against Argentina. They had the opportunity with 14 minutes to go. For lack of proper grounding in tactics, as well as some naivety, the team helplessly blew it, with Gernot Rohr, the German manager, sitting on the bench not doing anything to attempt to alter the course of the match. That he did nothing was spoke volumes. It was either that he did not know what to do, or that he did not realise the match meant almost life or death for the Nigerian who was gleaning a victory within touching distance and saw it slip away because the expert he hired to do the job did not have the capacity.

Gernot Rohr is a complete European gentleman, a cool, calm, and fatherly figure that Nigerian players do NOT need to lead them into battle. The Nigerian is a complex character – boisterous, sometimes cantankerous, and effervescent. He does not function maximally with the gentle handling – ask Westerhof!

If Gernot’s Russian failure could be forgiven for any reason, not so what happened at a much lower level in Egypt during AFCON 2019. The Russian scenario almost played out again in the semi-final match against Algeria. The Algerians were a better team, but it was Nigeria that had the gifted opportunity of snatching victory from the jaws of poor performance up to the dying moments of the match. Directionless, naively, tamely, and with a manager that did not take any decisive decision to halt the mounting pressure and ‘kill’ the game in the dying seconds, Nigeria lost a match they had already in their pockets, and lost the chance to play in the finals. It was an elementary tactical deficit.

Gernot Rohr does not love Nigeria more than Nigerians. He has not even demonstrated commitment as Clemens Westerhof freely did, living here in Nigeria, and even setting up a home with a Nigerian ‘wife’ in tow.

The World Cup is a theatre of passion, national pride and patriotism. It is a World War. Players, supporters and anyone connected to the team must love the country they represent with a passion that reflects that they can die for it, more so Nigeria, the representative of the largest congregation of the most discriminated-against race in the world. Any coach to lead this country must have his work cut out, and must fight ten times harder than usual to go near winning the World Cup.

I am not a racist but I know that no White coach can demonstrate such unbridled love for an African country.
So, if African choose to hire a White coach, they must be ready to pay to pick from amongst the best in the world. Otherwise, they should sink or swim with their own.

That way they would give their own the opportunities denied them by the advanced football cultures to gain the experience they need to join the league of the best coaches in the world, and genuinely attempt to win the most coveted trophy in football, from 2026, 2030 and beyond.

For me, Gernot Rohr has had his chance and opportunities, and blew them both. I would not set sail again with him in 2022.

Go get a Jose Mourinho (any amongst the best in the world), or start to groom qualified Nigerians to do the job! Teslim ‘Thunder’ Balogun could have done the job. Ask all those that knew him, saw him play and coach in Nigeria.

Nigerians can do the job. I can give a few names if you ask me!


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COMMENTS

WORDPRESS: 27
  • Glory 4 years ago

    Mr Segun. Please give a direct answer to this question. Why didn’t you bring in that so called local coach when SE were been beating both home and away surprisingly, despite haven just won 2013 AFCON n qualifying for world cup 2014. If you n others calling for homebased coaches had brought one in to produce a better eagles we would not have even know this name Gernot Rohr. Again can you explain how a world class coach will come and work in the kind of disorganized conditions as is always the case with sport management in nigeria. Are you been honest n fair? How come you seem to have forgotten how if not for Pinnick Amaju n co managerial ability as well as Gernot Rohr, SE would have probably been borrowing jerseys from every nook n cranny just to play matches. And that problem came about when SE performances got so bad that no one was ready to sponsor.Let Rohr be Mr Segun. He is the best we can afford now. He deserves support n not witch hunting. All these campaign against Rohr is because he has refused to allow SE to be used as a platform to showcase mediocre local league for business purposes. You talk about developing our league all the time but reading through your write up doesn’t give pinch of weight to that rather it only paint to decieved. Bros Segun maybe you should try a different method.

    • Lucky Ukhun 4 years ago

      It’s either Segun Odegbami is just day-dreaming, or envious of the steady achievements of Rohr, or even totally unpatriotic. When the Super Eagles almost went into oblivion, we didn’t hear Odegbami complain. Now that the Eagles are making steady progress, he’s all over the place talking. He wants the team to be ruined again. This man has outlived his usefulness in the sports arena. Simple.

  • Kolawole 4 years ago

    I concur with my bruh Glory. I have really come to disregard most of the things odegbami as being saying and writing after the nations cup when he was clamoring for the dismissal of Rohr. This couch as brought organizations and much needed pedigree to the Super Eagles, making them super again. Why dont u write about the fact that the country doesn’t have more than one FIFA standard facility to boast of. Write about instead of trying to push for local players that have no Tactical know how of the game. Its not all about talent alone. Odegbami plz stop writing. Your ideas are just as old as your playing days.

  • Simply put, anyone who will take away the only thing that brings smile to our depressed souls(Nigerians) will have depression as companion….Now that i can watch SE matches and beam with confidence that i will be entertained…Even if i don’t watch , am sure of the outcome..A win or a draw (against Top side)….

  • Mr Hush 4 years ago

    There are many things I do agree with the mathematical one, one of such being the ‘limited ‘ tactfulness of Gernot Rohr. His dogmatic nature towards flexibility.
    But that is that.
    It is what Rohr brings to the table.and have such being successful so far?
    from my own perception, I will say yes.

    Segun Odegbami’s call for a world class coach and the thought it guarantees success is simply abrupt and myopic.
    The best of coaches doesn’t really guarantee you success.
    History have shown that time and time again.
    Great coaches have failed even with teams with quality players.
    Carlos Alberto Pereira, Capello,Loew, Lippi, Scolari,Biesla etc.
    Taking nothing from these men; These are lists of world class coaches and they all failed sometime in their career path before.

    The mathematical one has forgotten the fact that Nigerian did had a world class coach in the past in the person of Berti Voghts, and what did we win?.
    We all know how that went. And if you deny the credibility of Berti, this is a man that won the Euros with Germany in 96.coaching Germany from 90-98.
    And yet,this world class coach didn’t really do much for Nigeria as much as he tried to.

    Again,I am not lost to the fact that there could be better coaches out there for the Super Eagles,but undermining Rohr’s success so far why wishing for the unknown is trying to play what is right between reality and fantasy. Not a game we should be playing right now..

    The Mourinhos,Ancelottis have all been sacked in the not so distant past.
    Yes.they are tactical braniacs but you miss the other point in building a winning team.
    Management and stability.
    Something Rohr has excelled in.

    I assure you,once a team is stable and well managed,they can as well win titles.
    Coaches like Santos of Portugal,and Otto Rehagel of Greece were not know for their tactical saviness, they’re totally inflexible, yet they both won the Euro with their respective sides against better world class coaches.

    We should focus on maintaining stability in the Super Eagles,Improving our leagues to generate more players(building for the future),and supporting the coach when necessary.
    If we want a change.then we should go for it with the mind that we are starting all over again and we have a plan.

    But the believe a world class coach generally translates to winning titles is simply a fallacy.

  • Oakfield 4 years ago

    When I call this man an ex cricket international, some people will begin ranting rubbish bcs of sentiments but u guys can now see for yourselves why. Garbage!!!

  • Glory 4 years ago

    @ Hush to be honest,I myself wasn’t happy with Rohr n SE performance at 2018. But that’s only natural but since then performances has greatly improve. Rohr has his weak points( struggling to understand the Nigerian players mentality, which is very rare self belief) no doubt, but his strong point ( getting the SE to play for him,for their country n together ) far outweigh his weak points n this is something that must not be toiled with n overlooked. Like you said, unless we are ready to start all over again. Also what Baba Segun n co always fail to realise or possibly do but because of some clandestine motives refused to acknowledge is that Rohr has been managing both the SE n the political turmoil that engulfed the NFF hierarchy right from when he started till now. And he has done this with flying colours. Then I can only imagine if Rohr had been able to have direct access to the presidency like Westerholf had during his time.

    • Mr Hush 4 years ago

      @Glory

      You are right.
      I believe Segun Odegbami is always clouded by his emotions that most times he fails to be reasonable with his assertion.
      To me,he comes across like a man who means well ,believes in rainbows but forgetting that reality isn’t rainbows and colours.

      Rohr has managed to get basic success in a situation where Dennerby couldn’t stand, where local coaches like Aigbogun ,Amakpakapo has failed and you think a world class coach can work under such conditions?!.
      It is alarming to fail to see things this way.
      But what can one say.
      The mathematical one is entitled to his opinion.
      It is all good.

  • _SERIAL MOANER_

    Mr Segun Odegbami’s views are going against the tide of public opinion that is overwhelmingly in favour of Gernot Rohr to continue as Nigeria coach.

    It is now clear: The Mathematical one will never forgive Gernot Rohr for Nigeria’s exit from the 2018 World Cup and for the defeat to Algeria in Afcon 2019.

    Nothing but Rohr winning both the 2021 Afcon and the 2022 World Cup for Nigeria will be enough to pacify the 1990 Afcon winner.

    My sense is, even if Rohr wins those tournaments, Segun Odegbami would still find one reason or the other to moan.

    Moan, moan, moan!

    As sure as daylight, uncle Segun will continue to moan as long as Rohr stays as Coach of Nigeria.

    So, moan on sir. Continue your one-man crusade against a coach who admittedly has is shortcomings but in totality has done well for Nigeria.

  • ‘Nigerians can do the job. I can give a few names if you ask me’Oga Segun,the same names that ensure we will not watch our darling eagles and falcons in the next Olympic football. Same name that ensure we will not be represented in the next ‘common’ chan tournament. Same names that made is crashed out against youth football minors at U17 and U20. Both at second rounds. Tournament that we have hitherto dominated and set records. Dennerby with his team held the whole french populace breathless for almost 90 mins. But your names could not beat common Ivory cost girls in two legs to qualify for Olympics.where was Nigeria on FIFA ranking before Rohr took over.Where are we now? Our players are finding it easier to get club and are successfully changing clubs partly due to Rohr advocacy and fatherly advice. Oga Segun, I think it is high time you face politics and leave the football space. It is not a coincidence that we can boast of 4 good players in each position under Rohr.

    I laugh when people compare Rohr achievement to Keshi Afcon winning team underrating Rohr. Watch that tournament again and you will see that we were lucky to escape from the group stage that had Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Zambia. We could not beat both Zambia and Burkina Faso. We could not beat Ethiopia in open play but thanks to individual brilliance of Victor Moses. Without Moses we would have crashed out from the group stage.

    Three years after that tournament we had just about three players still playing for eagles. Rohr is giving us a team that can last for almost ten years.

    It will be a disaster if we loose this man to other African countries with good players.

  • That is why I said this man has let sentiment beclouded his sense of reasoning. Anyway, he is entitled to his opinion but I think it is unfair to blame Rohr for everything. He asserted in his write up that there are so many local coaches who can handle the super eagles team like the world class coach he mentioned but my question is?where was he when super eagles were struggling to qualify for afcon back to back and is he not in Nigeria this year when all the so called local coaches all fumbled in their respective assignment? I didn’t even hear him saying a world when Amakpabo team could not even beat ordinary Togo team like their Nigeria counterpart. If this man should be listen to, honestly Nigeria football will go into oblivion. One thing I will advise him to do is to try and contest for NFF president and do his utmost to win then he can bring his so called world class coach to coach super eagles. A right thinking person knows Nigeria can not afford those coaches and moreover they can’t even accept to coach Nigeria team.

  • Patrick 4 years ago

    Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. Mathematical odegbami? Fashanu? Why ? It appears they are sport administrators and ex players of super eagles that are against super eagles manager.

  • Omo9ja 4 years ago

    About this article, I agreed with Mr. Odegba on this with the exception of Thunder Balogun.

    Mr. Rohr is over stayed.

    He had two opportunities and he wasted both. Russia world cup and Afcon in Egypt respectively.

    However, I said something similar to this article today. The only thing Oga Rohr have that is keeping the gentleman’s work is man management. I repeat man management.

    Coach Rohr’s new contract should be renew on one condition. NFF need to get two Nigerian coaches to work with the coach.

    For me, NFF are the main problem of our football. Why? If to say they are not corrupt and they are ready to work, they need to have a law that nobody can take for granted.

    Then, give the position to young Nigerian talented coaches. Give them free hands to do the job like you are doing to coach Rohr now.

    What did the NFF do to Siasia during his time?

    How about Keshi?

    Coach Amadu Shuaibu? And so on?

    They are treating the foreigners like king while NFF are treating their own people like slaves.

    We have to say the truth here today. Mr. Odegbami have spoken well and we Nigerians knew the truth but some of us here loved to see Oyinbo coach.

    The drama will continue till next world cup and Afcon still, NFF will never find solutions to this problem because, they have been biased and very corrupted people. They are just fighting for their pockets.

    Oga Rohr will keep building the team for life and I’m pretty sure of that.
    I’m in doubt if he can achieve something meaningful with the team.

    NFF should take their time this time around.

    For me, Amunike head coach, Peter Rufai goalkeeper trainer. They should allow coach Amunike to choose his assistant coaches.

    Well, what do I know. Truth is hurt. God bless Nigeria!!!

  • daniel 4 years ago

    this is why is hard to satisfy human beings. when Janathan was the president, people start complaining, now Buhari is here now, next level, na una vote am in but every body dey hear am. pls make una leave this Germany coach, no coach will tolorate Nigeria coruption.

  • “I can give a few names if you ask me.” The GREAT FREUDIAN SLIP that seems so innocuous most people will not even spot it. Power. And all it attracts. 

    Unless you read between the lines, you’d be fooled to think that he is yearning for the advancement of Nigeria football. 

  • Sunnyb 4 years ago

    I’m not a big fan of Rohr either, our defeats to Argentina and Algeria was painful, and both defeats are avoidable, but the Eagles are steady and they are progressing,I  think the coach has done well, I think with time Rohr has what it takes to make the Eagles super and dangerous again.lets support this man give him all the necessary tools he needs to succeed, I don’t trust our pay and play local coaches, at least most of Rohr’s invitees are based on merits. Like @Daniel rightly said I don’t wanna trade in Jonathan for Buhari again oooooo

  • Omo eluku 4 years ago

    @glory don talk another sensible thing again. 2nd time to read from him writing something that really make senses. Good talk@glory. Keep it up. You are getting there. Good to go.

  • Bobo Colorado springs 4 years ago

    We should not be quick in castigating mathematical Odegbami, he made some good points with reference to Mr Rohr of which I believe is true, but he failed to realize that Mr Rohr is gradually improving on those areas. It was Mr Rohr’s tactical deficiency that cost us the game against Argentina at the 2018 world cup and Algeria at the 2019 AFCON. Previously, Mr Rohr lacks tactical approach, wrong substitutions, settling for mediocre result and his team lacks intimidating approach that suppose to scare opponents.
    However, in recent games, he seemed to be correcting his mistakes, to me, he is getting better as a good coach, and I think he need more confidence to bring the fear factor in the team and intimidate the opponents. Mr Odegbami, you are on point about Rohr, but he is getting it right at the moment, i think he is doing well and needs more time to get the team where it suppose to be.

  • Dr. Drey 4 years ago

    Nigerians can do the job. I can give a few names if you ask me!

    Hehehehehe…Uncle Sege pls did we have to ask you names when you wrote this…

    “..I imagine a scenario where, with the same 14 minutes to go, the Super Eagles had on their bench any one of Jose Mourinho, Diego Simone, Carlos Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola, Jürgen Klopp, or even late Nigerian, Teslim ‘Thunder’ Balogun, as coach…”

    Why then do we have to ask you, when it comes to Names of Nigerians who can do what Rohr is doing at the moment….??? Hahahaha…Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.

    If there really were, I bet you would have rolled out the names as easily as you did of those ‘world-class’coaches you mentioned above.

    Yes, Rohr has his weaknesses, Yes he does…..even the world class coaches do. Only recently, Jose was an analyst on Sky, telling us wat other coaches should have done or not done in certain scenarios here and there as if football always follows rules of thumb. He’s now on the saddle at Tottenham, has it been a Midas touch all the way…?? Has he been unconquerable…? Will we say he was tactless in those matches he lost..?

    Wen haters want to talk about Rohr’s failures, they only single out 2 matches – vs Argentina and Vs Algeria…..2 matches that were decided not by the tactical brilliance of their coaches, but by the technical and individual brilliance of 1 or 2 players in those teams and one moment of loss of concentration from 1 or 2 players in our own team. They talk about those games as if we were outplayed, out-thought, out-foxed and pummeled to the teeth. They forget the other 21 or more matches where we were the better team or where we turned things around with sheer intelligence and tactical nous from the entire team.

    Enough has been said on the progress the SE has made in the last 3 years already, even though some people claim the team has not improved…LMAO. But I dont think we have had such am exciting and competitive team since the 94 squad ran-out their cycle with the Mali 2002 debacle.

    Haters (yea, that what they are, i wouldnt call them critics) will say Rohr is just lucky we have more talents now…..i’ve asked them severally, when have we stopped producing talents since when we first hit jackpot at 1980 AFCON…?? I’m yet to get their responses. When has our Underaged teams stopped churning out young players good enough to play for the SE but which handlers will say ‘they are too young’. We now have a coach who is bold enough to give the young ones their chance in the SE, yet some backward thinking fellows call it Luck.

    When have we stopped having players making waves in various leagues in Europe, yet will never get invited to the SE…the cases of the likes of Abiola Dauda, Ezekiel Imoh, Micheal Olaitan etc readily comes to mind. Yet we have a Rohr whose team has been purely based on merit and some people say he’s reaping from other peoples sweat…? All of a sudden, there is nothing to criticize him for anymore, it is now…”he doesnt live in Nigeria, Westerhoff lived i Nigeria” (how many Nigerian footballers in total did we have in Europe in 89 circa 94), “he doesnt invite homebased” (even the ones who invited homebased, how many of the homebased started matches..the moment they started making the mistake of starting 2 or more of those home-based, that was the beginning of nemesis for the SE).

    Rohr’s only sin at the moment is that we havent won trophies yet, but the team is growing organically and is now poised to crown all that hardwork of the last 3 yrs with laurels, if and only if we dont press that self-destruct button we like to press when things seem to be adding up.

    Yes, Keshi may have won the AFCON in 2013, but his template in the typical ‘How not to develop sustainably’ template. Where are all his “young home-based players” of those years, many of them including the AFCON hero Sunday Mba have either been without a club for 2 years plus or playing in very obsure leagues….no disrespect to the Vietnam, Saudi or Nigerian leagues.

    We tried Oliseh with all his sweet talks as analyst on supersport and his over-rated UEFA pro licence, he retired all our best players at that time and left us in 71st position

    Before Siasia’s ban, he proved he was only good with underaged competitions where 35 year olds can masquerade as 19 year olds (I did research on our 2008 olympic team, only 3 of the 21 players still have clubs today the rest are either retired or clubless, while Argentina’s 2008 team still has 19 players still playing top football in top leagues – Romero, Garay, Fazio, Zabaleta, Banega, Di Maria, Messi Aguero etc))…every senior team he handled both clubsides and national team ended up in failure.

    Amuneke is only just cutting his teeth at senior international level after mixed shades of results with the national youth teams and clubsides.

    We tried some of the ones from home who had won titles in the local league and they only showed how far away our coaches are from having enough organization and managerial skills to ‘MANAGE’ the national team.

    We struggle to pay $580k pa salary to Rohr but we are writing love stories about having ‘world-class’ coaches whose pays averages $2m pa. So so laughable.

    Uncle Segun, we dont need to ask you names of Nigerians who can do the job…if you indeed really knew any you can bet your life on, you would have reeled them out.

    • onwajunior 4 years ago

      On point!! Honest football loving Nigerians knew where we were before Rohr and where we are now. Thanks boss for this response. 

  • JOHN CENA 4 years ago

    Mr Segun, one of the top class coaches you listed above lost a golden opportunity to win the champions league when Real Madrid (Sergio Ramos) scored very late. Are we going to say Atletico Madrid coach lacked ideas that evening despite all the antics and tactics? What of all the greatest comeback in football, what happened to the loosing coaches? Now coming back to our own people and league, how many away wins can we record in a single season or how many of these coaches can boast of 5-7 away wins in a season? Rohr may not be perfect but he has done well so far and he’s creating a template that any other coach after him can follow. If we have any good local coach at the moment, let him understudy Rohr and learn from him and by that, he can start getting used to the players. If we sack the coach today, the players may decide to work against any incoming coach if care is not taking. God bless Nigeria

    • Dr. Drey 4 years ago

      May God bless you @John Cena.

      Pls help us ask those who single out 2 matches to conclude Rohr is tactless, if we can call Diego Simeone tactless too for loosing tight games on the brink…?

      If the NFF wants to replace Rohr…no problem, but replacing him with someone else (local of foreign) who doesn’t have as much or more experience as what Rohr has not will only leave us dancing in circles and stunt the progress we would have made if we had left him.

      Ask Arsenal fans now, many of them are regretting kicking Wenger out.

  • Mr Hush 4 years ago

    To add to this narrative.
    These are lists of recent world class coaches.

    MOURINHO: sacked by both Chelsea, Manchester United ; only just employed by Hotspurs,but already lost to two main big teams(Man.United and Bayern Munich).

    Lippi( world cup winner with Italy): failed to qualify China to the world cup,knocked out in the Asian nations cup; that’s after loads of amount of money paid to him,lots of money spent in the Chinese league and infrastructural development in China.

    Scolari:failed with Portugal at the Euros,world cup.Lost heavily as coach of host Brazil in the world cup and then lost his job.

    Carlos Alberto; turned more a less to a journey man after world cup success in 94. Failed to do anything with South Africa as host of the world cup, that is after much was spent on him to lift the team and all.

    Ancelotti: keep being recycled couldn’t really do much with Napoli. Lost out to the power struggle with the Chairman of the club due to the fact he couldn’t control his players.

    Honourary mentions; Aguirre,Sampoali,Gunes,Advocaat,Blind ,Wilmots etc;
    They all failed in their last assignments as national team coaches

    Plus all the world class coaches that have coached a good side like Argentina in recent months and have failed.
    .

    The above are all supposed world class coaches in their own rights.
    They have had their day.
    But they also failed.

    How are we sure if we sack Rohr and hire any of the above or any “world class” coach,they wouldn’t fail too?

    In the world of coaching,many things go into building a successful side .

    What matters is positive consistency.
    If a manager understands his environment,his players and the right approach.
    He would get to achieve. It is just a matter of time.
    Every coach,no matter how world class,learns in the job. Learning is a continuous process.

    The question remains;

    Why change Rohr when the result is all positive?

  • It is very obvious that nothing done by coach Rohr would satisfy Odegbami. He talks as if the coaches who play to the gallery are the best coaches. Sir Alex Ferguson with all his successes never paced about the touch line. Every coach has his own way of preparing and motivating his team. Any sincere observer can see the progress so far made by the Super Eagles. Rohr should be encouraged. See how the NFF shamelessly say they are owing only $30000. Bros Odegbami is that how you will pay your world class coaches? Let Rohr be.

  • Omo9ja 4 years ago

    Mr. Odegbami is talking to those that can think very deeply. He didn’t say the coach is bad.

    But when it matter most, he always runs out of ideas.

    These has happening in several occasions.

    Recently, Nigeria vs Ukraine, Nigeria should have won the match but lacks of ideas was the main issue of the coach.
    The coach even believes that Nigerian team doesn’t deserved to wins against the top teams. Do you think that a Nigerian coach is not needed as soon as possible or another coach that have different mentality?

    Nigeria vs Brazil. Another mistakes here. The match that the man would have won easily but he was playing defensively in the second half. Wrong tactics.

    Sone of us were saying we were playing against Brazil of course? Were they not human beings like Nigerians?

    Nigeria vs Algeria. Another scenario here. Oga Rohr wasted the opportunity of playing in the final of the competition. What went wrong in that encounter? The coach was the person to be blamed for that.

    Nigeria vs Argentina. Hmmmm, many Nigerians landed in the hospital. Many were sick. Many of them can never forget and forgive Mr. Rohr.

    Football is more than its game itself in Nigeria. After God, its football. That is why we can’t do without prayer then, football is very important in our daily lives.

    Mr. Rohr Doesn’t understand this and when we were beaten 2-0 by a small Country in Egypt, he wasn’t talking that seriously. The same Mr. Odegbami was very upset with coach.

    We have players everywhere and what is stopping the coach to build a solid team for us in less than two to three years is what I don’t understand.

    More so, the issue of introducing players in less than 20 to 10 minutes it’s very annoying.

    What has he achieved so far? Good team that can not play good football against the big teams?

    During Westerhof’s era, we enjoyed good football.

    During Jo Bonfrere, we enjoyed fantastic footall.

    During Siasia time, we enjoyed attacking football.

    Now coach Rohr time, do we have a sound goalkeeper and a full left back?

    Do we have strikers we should be relying on? Only Osimeh. Even, if it wasn’t because Ighalo refused not to be back in the team, the coach would have putting Osimeh on the bench. That is the truth. So why blaming Mr. Segun Odegbami and others then?

    As of today, Okoye is our No1 because Uzoho is not available. What we are expecting from the coach is that, he would have building that confidence in Okoye after the Brazil match but he, coach Rohr still had the courage to brought Akpeyi back into the team. Is

    that a coach that has vision, confidence, agility, winning mentality and never say die Nigeria spirit?

    How many years left for Akpeyi in football to be used?

    And you people are getting angry when we patriotic Nigerians are saying the truth. Ah, are you people not Nigerians?

    Who doesn’t wanted to enjoy good football? Absolutely nobody.

    For these reasons, NFF have a big role to play. Is idea they get the coach new assistants or they hire a young Nigerian coach that understand the history of Nigeria football.

    Don’t tell me that Nigerians are corrupt. We still have honest people in the Country.

    We need to start from the top. Is Amaju worth to be our NFF president? No. Although, he lays out a good foundation with his corruption.

    Can we call him a good leader, Absolutely not. NFF are still owning the coach til today while Mr. President traveling to the UK to see EZE, the world footballer of the year?

    Amaju couldn’t have saved that money and paid off the gaffer’s salary?

    Well, well, well. What do I know. Section 2020, under omo9ja constitution says, what an elderly person sees in a day when sitting, it may takes forever for young people to see it.

    In one word, Mr. Rohr should stay if his mistakes he has made in the past can be corrected in the future but are we seeing that happening?

    If Mr. Rohr started playing good football, I will come out to praise him. That is me. I hates nobody. All I wanted to see is winning, not unworthy draws.

    No time to waste time. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!

  • Thanks brother for that last point in your write up. He think any coach will come to Nigeria without making necessary findings. Does anyone know why the man who turned down the super eagles job after already agreed to take over before Rohr finally came?. They all knew Nigeria is not an organise country when it come to honouring contract term. They keep shouting a better coach would have done better in the match against Argentina and Algeria as if those coaches are messiah. The painful thing is that a person like Odegbami can even be saying such. That man is a disgrace to Nigeria football and he is not wishing our football well but rather want to cause unnecessary distraction because of his personal gain. I have never seen him criticising any super eagles coach like this before but why he is doing it now, i think he is angry with Rohr for something personal

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