Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr expects a tough battle against the Swallows of Burundi in his side’s first Group B match at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, Completesports.com reports.
The three-time African will be looking to open their campaign on winning note when they face the debutants inside the 20,000 capacity Alexandria Stadium this Saturday, June 22.
And despite Burundi’s status as one of the underdogs who are making their first appearance in the AFCON finals, Rohr has warned his players they must be wary of the threat of their opponents.
“I think we can come out of the group. From there, we can then take it match by match, but the most important thing now is the first game against Burundi,” Rohr stated in an a video interview on the official Twitter handle of the Super Eagles.
“The first game is always important. It is always difficult. Everyone is always fresh, the small countries don’t have anything to lose.
“Burundi have good players in England and Europe. They have players in South Africa which makes them a dangerous opponent.
“But we are Nigeria. We played at the World Cup in Russia as one of the five African countries which is good for us . We also have 15 players from the World Cup in this team which is quite remarkable. ”
The Super Eagles are expected to leave for Alexandria on Monday after today’s friendly encounter against the Teranga Lions of Senegal at the Ismaila Stadium.
Rohr charges will also face Guinea and Madagascar on June 26 and June 30 respectively in other Group B matches.
By Adeboye Amosu
8 Comments
We are Nigeria, we are Africa, we are the World. Who can beat that. I love this country but tribalism, nepotism, sectionalism, regional likeness, religious factor and Money change hand factor are problems of our time. God bless. Nigeria.
Zero confidence on this coach. Rohr has a loser mentality. Like technically preparing for failure with ahead of time excuses. My young team. I think we can get out of our group. One game at a time. We are playing friendly match with Senegal the best Africa team. Burundi have players in England and Europe and south Africa that means they will be dangerous opponent. My people, that isn’t the mentality or words of a serial winner! Rohr wants Nigeria to be very happy be at world cup. A world cup team, that says alot. Jesus Nigeria is a serial winning football team.amaju pinnick should tell him. Nations cup runner up or semi final is considered a big failure that is Nigeria for you a serial multiple winners. How many trophies has rohr won in his whole career as manager? Zero! Wholeever knows rohr must tell him to oozed
A winner mentality with his words and brave approach to win match against all odds. Study amunike interviews with small tanzanian team and check the difference. Amaju must be queried and questioned if Nigeria fail to win this afcon whilst playing scintillating football. We go dey observe things!
Thank you so much @BestSports. You said it all. I need more of you here on this forum. Some of us on this forum doesn’t know our standard.
Coach Amunike is talking though because he wants to achieve more.
It’s not about boasting, it’s not by over conference but it is what you are capable of doing.
I think by now, Mr. Amaju should be able to letting the coach knows value in African football. God bless Nigeria!!!
@OMO9ja thanks! me first know say you are educated on merit and with great sense of reasoning! my others here are insulting whats is suppose to get us all inform!
Thank you my lovely coach for saying the truth here. For sure, playing against Burundi is also though and for this reason, I won’t call them underdog.
This is what I just said, what do we expecting from a team that went to the world cup?
This is Nigeria and we should know our level now.
The manager knows that we have so many good players and he have no choice but to delivered. He have to. This is the last opportunity for the coach. I am praying for you to have a good outing in Egypt. You have spoken well and I have heard you. All I can say now is good luck to you and your team.
It’s going to be though no doubt but we are capable of reaching the final and win the tournament.
Your target should be final, not quarterfinal or Semifinal with the caliber of players you have at the moment.
Get your tactics right and your selection should on merit. No sentiment this time around.
Don’t allow politics to tarnish your image. I am saying this because I love you.
Remember what Jay Jay said to you and remember your reactions that lead you to the exist the tournament in Russia.
Be yourself sir and God is solidly behind you. Likewise I omo9ja and my colleagues here as well. God bless us all. Happy Sunday my people. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
A coach that still lacks tactical acumen, not knowing when to make substitutions. I believe in the team but not the coach.
Mikel our captain should even take over the role of this Robotic coach during the tournament select our players for us we can do better without the so call foreign coach. I believe in the players but not the coach. They can win that trophy without input from this Genort Rohr who doesn’t know when to make substitution to win a hard game. Matches are won from the bench but unfortunately we don’t have a reliable coach. All these foreign coaches employed by nff are Just conduit pipe to siphon money in foreign currency, looting this country. They (except westeroff) only come here to enjoy and share the money with nff without developing our local league. Keshi won this same tournament Rohr is jittering with the likes of Sunday Mba a local league material. Way forward. Rohr should be our last foreign coach whether he wins this tournament or not. If nff can even spend 30% of the resources they larvish on this below average foreign coaches on our local coaches consistently they will do better. Imagine still remembering why we lost against France in world cup ( Brazil) at second round with a local coach when players/officials were sharing long awaiting promised and failed bonuses from nff till day break at Eve of that match one will just know that our problem is nff and govt not our local coahes. Genort Rohr was given everything at Russia but he chickened out at first round. Enough is Enough of wasting our common resources. Win or not Rohr should be last.
Man this one zero loss to Senegal is paining me and it ids all down to coach Rohr and his Stupid useless Mind games tactics of saying that Senegal and Egypt are the favourites.