How NFF’s Legal Department unwittingly saved Gernot Rohr’s Job

The German tactician's bosses are dissatisfied with his team's performances but can't sanction him due to a technical mistake made by the department that drafted his last contract.

Gernot Rohr led the Super Eagles to a third place finish at the just concluded 32nd Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. The team lost in the semifinals to eventual winners, Algeria.

A section of fans have been calling for the German coach's sack, nothing that the team's conservative approach and disjointed play robbed the nation of AFCON glory.

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It has now been revealed that Rohr's bosses in Abuja are also dissatisfied with the German coach's tactics but that a clause in his contract has tied the NFF's hands from firing the former Burkina Faso manager, according to a ThisDay report.

“Where will NFF bring the $1million pay off clause in Rohr’s contract to end the romance with him even though I am aware that the leadership of the federation is no longer confortable with the man’s tactics,” a top football administrator confided in THISDAY yesterday from Abuja.

It would be recalled that during the bronze medal presentation in Egypt, NFF's President Amaju Pinnick appeared to snub Gernot Rohr, fueling rumours that the nation's number one football man is not happy with the German.

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NFF’s legal department has now been blamed for setting a semi final target for the coach while reviewing his contract after qualifying Nigeria for the World Cup in Russia last summer.

“Nigeria is a big country in African football. I don’t know why anybody will set an AFCON semi final target for Gernot Rohr?

“We have won the AFCON title on three occasions, reached the final about four times and won the third place eight times with the bronze from Egypt on Wednesday. Winning the title in Egypt would have been the target otherwise we will not be in this situation now,” the official noted.

Rohr's supporters have often cited the team's youthfulness and inexperience for the below-par performance at the tournament but the NFF official would have none of that.

” I don’t want to hear all these talks of young team, young team any more. Our Eagles were simply poor in tactics despite winning the third place match against Tunisia. If Rohr continues with the team for the next five years, I don’t see anything improving our playing pattern,” he said.

Since Rohr took over the Super Eagles in 2016, Nigeria has recorded 20 wins in 35 matches, drawn five and lost 10.