Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr said the long rivalry between the Super Eagles and Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions would yet again come to the fore when the continental arch-rivals clash in an international friendly on 4 June at the Weiner Neustadt Stadium in Vienna, Austria.
Rohr said it becomes imperative to keep his wards in shape, following the postponement of the first and second matchdays of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, adding that Cameroon is an ideal fixture to bring out the best in his side.
“This friendly against Cameroon is an interesting game because we are going to have some of the new players, since some of our regular players will not be available due to injuries, and it is not easy to have everybody at this period because it is also the offseason period,” Rohr told CAFOnline.com.
“It is a big test game and an opportunity to test the new players,” added the German coach.
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Incidentally, this is the fourth time Rohr would be leading Nigeria against Cameroon since taking over the Super Eagles in 2016, and he admitted there would always be a sense of déjà vu anytime both side meet.
Nigeria, who won the Africa Cup of Nations three times but have been walloped by Cameroon in the final of the competition on three other occasions, defeated the Indomitable Lions 3-0 in a friendly in Belgium in October 2015, and have not lost to the Lions in regular time since a 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Yaounde on 27th August 1989.
Under Rohr, the Super Eagles wounded the Indomitable Lions with a 4-0 home win in Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and had a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture in Yaounde. It was Nigeria that yet beat Cameroon 3-2 in that energetic 2019 Total AFCON Round of 16 decider in Alexandria, Egypt.
“Of course, we are not going to play for the result against Cameroon in Austria, but it’san opportunity to see our boys and see something different with our systems against a very good team that will host the next AFCON,” Rohr, who will turn 68 on June 28th further told CAFOnline.com.
“It is true that we beat them in the Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiers and at the last AFCON in a very interesting game of the Round of 16, but this friendly is going to be different. I’ve seen that they have a list of 28 players, but I’m hopeful all our players listed would be able to come for the match. I hope we are going to have a good weather in Vienna for this match,” he added.
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COMMENTS
Mumu and OLODO coach always complaining and finding where to put fault you are a disgrace to world coaching and it’s not even about me saying it but your CV is showing it,I don’t blame you I blame that bastard who employed you
The last four countries you coached in Africa sacked you even as low as a country as Gabon they sacked you and yet one stupid idiot who called himself pinnick employed you and he is the same person backing you up despite your obvious non improvement in the past four years which even a blind man could see that you know nothing he still keeps forcing you on Nigeria until god will punish you and him one day but till then I just wish Nigeria the best in the afcon and the world cup cause I have no choice