Sports
- Adeyinka Akintunde
GERNOT Rohr, Super Eagles technical adviser, is not sure Nigeria will feature in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Rohr, who leads the Eagles to face Zambia on October 7, however, stated that Nigerians will come out fully when they faced the Chipolopolo in Uyo, knowing that a victory will seal Nigeria’s place at the Mundial, haven bagged 10 points from their previous five matches.
The technical adviser, who was a guest at Channels Television “Sports Tonight” at the weekend, explained that the match against Zambia, is going to be very exciting, “because they are a very young team, and they play exciting football, so it will be difficult playing against them.”
“We only need to repeat what we did against Cameroon in Uyo, and we are in Russia. I am not sure (because you cannot be sure of anything in life), but I believe that we can do it. Everybody remembers our first game against them in Ndola, where we emerged winners, and judging by the way we have played our last two matches against Cameroon, I believe we have all in our hands now, and we will utilise our chance to be in Russia,” he said.
Rohr, responding to questions about the current style of play for the Super Eagles said: “We play the 4-3-3 formation; sometimes we switch to 4-4-2, because we have two real wingers. We have Mikel Obi, who is playing offensively now. We also have Ighalo, and the wingers come from behind too. So, what we try to do is to be flexible. If you play only one system, everybody knows how you play.
He described as fake news the current video making the rounds that suggests that striker Victor Moses deliberately snubbed a handshake with Amaju Pinnick, president of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), suggesting that all is not well between the two of them.
“Victor Moses did not see the hand of the president. We arrived at the dressing room, focused on the game, and that was what he had his mind on,” he said, adding: “Nobody has any problem with the president. He is our first supporter, there are pictures of the two of them in London, having nice time together. There is no problem between the two of them.”
The technical adviser revealed that goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama still has a chance to play in the Super Eagles, when he recovers from the injury he currently has, adding that he has no problems with the former captain whatsoever.
“I hope that he will come back soon. I head a team that is in harmony, and it is not a team where anybody can give conditions before he plays for us because I cannot accept that. Everybody should accept the decisions of the technical adviser,” he said.
– Sept 11, 2017 @ 14:46 GMT
Tags: 2018 FIFA World Cup Amaju Pinnick Gernot Rohr’ Mikel Obi nigeria Rohr Not sure Nigeria will be at World Cup Victor Moses Zambia
