Super Eagles head coach, Gernot Rohr says his team’s first half showing in the 2-2 international friendly draw against Ukraine in Dnipro on September 10 was their best since he took charge of the team, Completesports.com reports.
The West Africans totally outclassed the hosts in the first 45 minutes with debutant Joe Aribo and Victor Osimhen getting the goals.
Ukraine latter rallied back after the break and got their goals through Oleksandr Zinchenko and Roman Yaremchuk.
“More than the result, it was the way we played that made me happy. It was my best 45 minutes in charge of the Super Eagles. We played one touch, two touches and scored fantastic goals, ” Rohr stated in a video interview posted on the Super Eagles Twitter handle.
“Second half, we could have scored a third, but understandably the level of performance dropped a little. They scored twice, the second goal was an handball which the referee got right, but the linesman decided otherwise.
“It was a good game for a friendly. Both teams did well. We were treated well in Ukraine.”
With the Super Eagles next competitive fixture against Benin, still about two months away, Rohr wants his team to face an African opposition in the next FIFA window in October
“Now it’s time to focus on the AFCON qualifiers. The game against Ukraine has gone and the boys did very well, in my opinion,” Rohr added.
“Next month we have two possible windows, and I think it will be good for us to have an African opponent because of the qualifiers in November.”
By Adeboye Amosu
21 Comments
Oga Rohr you must address the issue of your boys turning into baskets after scoring first. Learning how to slow the game and play tight is vital to winning.
True talk.
U ve to give u r opponent a playing time to expose demselves. To burn their energy. To get tired and weak in each half of play. So dat ur boys can play strong. Til game ends.
I watched this interview on YouTube last night and I was shaking my head for this coach and NFF.
Heard what the gentleman said.
“Second half, we could have scored a third, but understandably the level of performance dropped a little. They scored twice, the second goal was an handball which the referee got right, but the linesman decided otherwise”.
This quote tells me that the French man is not up to the task.
The Ukrainian coach studied the Nigerian team in the second half and changed tactics while Nigerian coach couldn’t do anything and the encounter ended 2-2
Now, our world class coach is celebrating 45 minutes of the match forgetting to review the second half, what went wrong?
What did I do wrong? Instead, the coach is celebrating his Best 45 Minutes vs Ukraine As his best ever. Hmmm, interesting o. How market NFF and coach Rohr supporters? Are you enjoying the dreamer ba?
This is where you brought Nigeria to NFF? There’s God oooo. Chai, Chukwueze was selfish in that match, the coach couldn’t do anything about it and still, he satisfied wela. Hmmm, interesting indeed. Shebi Oyinbo coach you like to see in charge of the team? You will see him tired. God bless Nigeria!!!
Shay you no go drink sniper like this bayi this is beyond patriotism oga chameleon
It’s obvious you don’t want oyinbo as the coach then go and submit your credentials maybe NFF would consider you na
This fat Omo9nja do not know nothing about football. He should be banned from this forum, for God’s sake.
“Chukwueze was selfish in that match, the coach couldn’t do anything about it and still, he satisfied wela” must everything happening in the team be broadcasted? Rohr need to announce to the public that Chukwueze was selfish in the game & I’ve cautioned him right?
“The Ukrainian coach studied the Nigerian team in the second half and changed tactics while Nigerian coach couldn’t do anything and the encounter ended 2-2
Now, our world class coach is celebrating 45 minutes of the match forgetting to review the second half, what went wrong?
What did I do wrong?”
What would you have done as a coach based on our bench that day & the crucial need for substitution & the need to try new players?
What was Amuneke’s achievement at the Nation’s Cup? Are you trying to tell me there are no talent in Tanzania? Did he discover them? If No, why?
Your best 45 minuits because you did not play with two defensive mildfielders.
Just like @Stan said, Rhor’s best 45 mins as SE coach because for once you did not play two defensive midfilders.
And that is all we have been asking of you for 3 years and you have refused to.
We are an attacking and aggressive nation.
We love to ettack and express ourselves .
Pls. Play one DM and two AM
(#4 DM, #8 AM, #10 AM).
WE WILL LOVE U LIKE WE DO WESTERHOF.
I do know coach Rohr now knows the difference between both halves;
For me,I simply think,it is Aribo..
Ndidi and Etebo are two players that play similar,high energy,can win back the ball,but can’t really create chances,their attacking threat is minimal.
Aribo is totally different.
He can win the ball; he can shield it,he can dribble,he can create and he can as well score goals.
He is more in the mold of Oliseh,dunga,fabregas,yaya Toure etc.
He is someone that can play well with Iwobi.
So I think,if he was the coach,
I would play Iwobi,Ndidi and Aribo in that midfield.with Ndidi.and see how it goes.
I firmly believe that Nigeria should have won that friendly against Ukraine there is a lot of work to do, Nigeria needs a world class Coach, but not Westerhof I believe any other world class coach, remember what happened in 1994 world cup Italy vs Nigeria, you love being sold out in fact Westerhof could have been a would class coach if he had not taken out Emmanuel Amunike and Nigeria could have won the world cup, but he sold out to Italy
CORRECTION BRO: Westerhof was not completely in charge of that team vs. Italy, on match day but the inside house player mafia.
Emmanuel Amunike and Amokachi were injured by the Italian mafia tactics and that was when the game changed.
MAFIA PASS MAFIA, the players themselves revealed these after many years
westerhof was duly sacked after that World cup for selling Nigeria for a pot soup. The kids of today easily forgot when they tried to compare Rohr to Westerhof who eventually ended up in Zimbwuaba only to fail woefully.
I don’t really understand what is wrong with some people at times. Of what benefit is winning that friendly? after all draw wasn’t a bad result. I am very sure some lesson have been learnt. We all watched EPL and saw how big club like Arsenal with world class coach squandered 2 goals lead to draw yesterday. If He lose or win and not playing well u will complain now he drew with his team playing well you are still complaining. pls what do u want cos I know no team is 100% perfect.
Am hapy you guys are begining to understand what we have been saying. Playing ndidi & etebo will give your oponent space to mount presure on you. The only way For you to atack and mouth presure against your oponent is to play one defensive mildfielder and two skiful at milfielders that is why barcelona allways dominat in all there matches. Ndidi must not start i prefer etebo he is better than ndidi i dont have anything aganist ndidi he is a good player but the truth is that he is overated. Etebo is the best super eagles defensive mildfielder for now. We have good players now This is our time to rule africa and make it to w/c semi final but it takes a good coach to do that. God bless 9ja
Bro, Zuka thank you for correction, I have never gotten over that lose to Italy in 1994 Nigeria had eleven players Italy had 10 as one was red carded, I was very disappointed I believe it was daytime robbery, it was a sad day for Africa even being the tenth in the world sounded hollow because that was the time Nigeria had the strongest team and they deserved to be at least in the semi final
The difference to me was that the Eagles were carrying the ball to the opponent , which did not happen in Afcon. When you run with the ball to your opponents half and good at dribbling you create spaces and dismember the opponent defense coupled with one touch passing , that is how the 1st goal was scored. Kalu , Iwobi , Aribo , Chukwueze and Oshimen were always running at the Ukraine particularly in the 1st half and was also responsible for the penalty conceded by Ukraine for the 2nd goal. Go and watch our match with Algeria , you will see the difference. Players were very static so they could read our moves easily and counter.
Samuel Kalu is underrated. according to opta Jose, he is currently the best dribbler in Europe, I begin to wonder how is Ahmed musa that runs without direction and even Moses Simon that cannot dibble past a day old baby ahead of Samuel Kalu in the super eagles.
https://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/better-than-nicolas-pepe-and-angel-di-maria-samuel-kalu-is/1b31qxpavan4r1deljmydmajgg
The fact is that Kalu has always been dear to Rohr and always in his first 11. A player that took the place of victor Moses and we forgot about moses easily. But in the last Afcon, he slumped before the first match and his health was closely monitored to avoid stories that touch. So he was fully fit to play on the last match. So remains on the first 11 but now closely chased by Chukwueze. So we are spoilt for choice with, Musa, Simon,Henry, Iwobi all possible options in the flanks.
95% of Nigerian coaches used to condemn Rohr’s Selections with one main reason. NO PLAYER FROM NPFL.
Which really shows what Nigerian Team will become if they have their chance. Sometimes I laughed when I hear some people complaining whenever a player is called from Turkish League, Chinese, Spanish second division or English Nation wide division but will be clamouring for the players from Nigerian League when it is sure that any player from NPFL can even leave for a club in Vietnam, Indian League, my question is, which player can we extend invitation to? and whom among the current squad will make way? Leave Rohr alone. If Indidi was fit, he or Etebo will have been the player to sub on and not Esiti (who was called to replace injured Indidi). So calm down.
Rohr is a good personality i cant take that from him. My problem with him is his retarted philosophy of the game. Now he is celebrating 45 minutes. Its simple wen u have both kalu and iwobi and Osimhen every nigerian knows wat the outcome should be like. Excuse me Rohr are u a learner?