The German tactician may be relieved of his job barely seven months after signing a contract extension, and the former Nigerian international believes the gaffer has made a few mistakes in player selections
Former Nigerian goalkeeper Peter Rufai has knocked Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr for the irregular and unstructured ways he invites players to the national team, which hampers the side’s cohesion and collective play on the pitch.
Gernot Rohr has been under pressure recently after guiding the Super Eagles to four winless games in October and November.
The former Bordeaux manager extended first-time invitations to eight players last month, including Matthew Yakubu, Kevin Akpoguma, Chidera Ejuke, Zaidu Sanusi, and Frank Onyeka.
Still, Nigeria lost 1-0 to Algeria and drew with 1-1 with Tunisia in friendly ties played in Austria.
Lugano goalkeeper Sebastian Osigwe was also a fresh invitee as Nigeria drew two matches against Sierra Leone in a recently-concluded 2021 AFCON qualifying double-header.
But one of Nigeria’s greatest ever goalkeeper, Rufai, is convinced that Rohr’s constant chopping is why the Super Eagles don’t have a stable first team, four years after the German gaffer became Nigeria’s Technical Adviser.
“At this point, we are really not getting it right when it comes to players that ought to be called to the national team,” the former Deportivo de La Coruna goalkeeper told Brila FM.
“The national team is not a place where you keep changing players; one match, another player, next match, another player after two months, another player after three months. No.
“National team positions are positions given to the best players in such positions, and those players can be substituted only when there are needs.
“And before these needs arise, the coaches and technical team must have screened around the country to find alternatives and communicate with the coach who trains these players and collect a report of assessment from these coaches about these players, not about what he (the national team coach) is seeing.”
Rohr could be facing the sack for Nigeria’s two disappointing draws against Sierra Leone over the past week.
Nigeria’s Minister for Sports and Youth Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, has expressed his belief that the former Gabon coach is not competent enough to guide the three-time African champions.
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Can Peter Rufai coach the Super Eagles effectively? I doubt that! Rohr is one of the three best coaches Nigeria has ever had. They need to quit bothering the gentleman. How about Yobo who was a defender? What effect has he had on the team? Rohr can invite whomever he deems fit. Rufai needs to wake up and realize that the days of Clemens Westerhof, when there was a cabal of players AKA mafia (go ask Nigeria's most complete ever defender, Chidi Nwanu), who were hardly ever dropped.