The Franco-German coach has paid the ultimate price following some uninspiring performances The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has sacked German coach, Gernot Rohr with immediate effect and has appointed Mr Augustine Eguavoen, its Technical Director,e as the Technical Adviser of the Super Eagles on an interim basis.
The NFF confirmed Sunday night that Rohr's contract has been terminated bringing to an end almost a month of speculations, with the NFF denying reports that the coach had been sacked back in November.
"There are a number of possibilities but we have not taken a decision to sack (Gernot) Rohr," NFF President, Amaju Pinnick said in an official statement on November 18, 2021. However, more than three weeks later, the nation's football body has finally confirmed that Rohr has been sacked after guiding the Super Eagles to the final round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. "The relationship between the Nigeria Football Federation and Mr Rohr has come to an end," the NFF said in an official statement. "We thank him for his services to the Super Eagles and Nigeria." Nigeria's Super Eagles survived a scare from their Cape Verdean counterparts, the Blue Sharks to finish top of Group C after a drab 1-1 draw at the Teslim Balogun stadium last month.
The Eagles needed just a point from that game to book the spot and did just about enough to get the job done and dusted. However, the team made Nigerians sit through it all with their hearts in their mouth and Rohr has paid the ultimate price for the team's uninspiring and cautious style that has come to define his time with the team. Rohr, 56, has been at the helm for over five years after he was appointed as coach back in August 2016. His biggest achievements have been qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and leading the country to a third-place finish at the last AFCON held in Egypt, 2019. Meanwhile, country's football governing body also confirmed the appointment of former international and current Technical Director, Augustine Eguavoen as the interim with immediate effect. "The Nigeria Football Federation has appointed Mr Augustine Eguavoen as the Technical Adviser of the Super Eagles on an interim basis.
This is with immediate effect, and follows the termination of the relationship with Franco-German Gernot Rohr," the statement added. Super Eagles Interim boss Augustine Eguavoen is expected to work with Salisu Yusuf (Chief Coach); Paul Aigbogun (Assistant Coach); Joseph Yobo (Assistant Coach); Dr Terry Eguaoje (Assistant Coach) and Aloysius Agu (Goalkeeper Trainer). Former Nigeria captains Augustine 'Jay Jay' Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu and Garba Lawal have been appointed to provide technical and ambassadorial support. The former Nigeria captain was coach of the squad when the Eagles finished in third place at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in 2006. He will lead the team to Cameroon when the AFCON2021 kicks off next month.
