Despite facing severe criticisms and rumours of an imminent loss of his job, the Nigerian national team head coach has remained focused on getting the former African champions to Qatar next year
Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr is convinced that Nigerian midfielder Samuel Kalu is an excellent winger whose best position is on the left flank of an attacking trident.
Rohr handed Kalu his Super Eagles debut three years ago, aged just 21, and he has watched the youngster make 17 appearances, scoring twice for the three-time Afcon kings.
However, the Girondins Bordeaux playmaker has struggled for game time recently for club and country, following several spells with injury, a scary loss of consciousness during a Ligue 1 match, and poor form.
The 24-year-old has not started any of Bordeaux’s last five league matches and was snubbed by Rohr during the November World Cup qualifiers against Liberia and Cape Verde.
But the German tactician insists that he rates Kalu highly while revealing that he knows how to get the best out of the midfielder.
“Samuel Kalu’s best position? It’s on the left-wing,” Rohr told France Bleu Gironde as per Girondins4ever.
“For me, he’s a magnificent winger, who is fast, who dribbles, who crosses, who can score when he comes from the left. In a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1. On the left side, he is magnificent every time he plays with Nigeria.”
Rohr guided the Super Eagles to top their qualifying group ahead of the Cape Verde Islands and make it to the final rounds of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, even if his side’s performances have not been convincing.
The 2013 African champions join nine other qualifiers in the playoffs for five qualifying tickets. Nigeria, who remain among the continent’s best five teams in the last FIFA global tanking, will likely be seeded alongside Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria when the draws are made in January.
And Rohr is relieved that the Super Eagles, who could avoid those difficult opponents, will stand a better chance against unseeded Egypt, Ghana, Cameroon, and Congo DR.
The former Bordeaux manager said: “We finished first in our group ahead of Cape Verde. We will have the playoff to play at the end of March, and we will soon know against whom.
“We are in any case in the Top5, so we will not face the very best in Africa. I think it’s playable. We will see; we have to wait for the draw.”
The Super Eagles have qualified for six of the last seven editions of the FIFA World Cup, missing out on the party to Germany 2006 after Angola pipped them to the qualification ticket.
This post was last modified on %s = human-readable time difference 3:38 pm
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Rohr should please save us the trauma of the dark experiences of his reign as super eagles coach. He should send me his account details. My consortium of friends will raise the funds pay him off.
I don't want him to comment on our football matters anymore, either as casual joke or otherwise.
NFF, serve him the sack letter now to save time and for us to maintain our focus.
Best regards.
Kalu uche again , this man is not normal
This clueless dumbo Coach should just save SE eagles from his directionless 6 years waste running and resign honourably.
He is scam , only a corrupt country as Nigeria would allowed Dumbo Rohr to complete one term contract let alone becoming the longest ever serving SE coach
@De Star... hahahaha! See us... see trouble o! The man is still even granting interviews... Lol. This man is a principality now to Nigeria football fans... he remains unmoved and unpertubed... hahahaha! Samuel Kalu...
not even Emmanuel Dennis... when was the last time Samuel Kalu played a whole season fit? Nigeria got a
fraud for a coach thinking they found a tactician...
Ungrateful Nigerians ungrateful beings, what was his offence to warrant sack? He top the group what else do u want? Enemies of progress live our coach, he has done well so far and I believe we qualify to World Cup.all this enemies of progress trying to use media to tarnish his image, u all will be tired bcos G Rohr is still our coach.
We are not ungrateful
We are just tired of this man experimenting with new legs ALL the time. For how many years and how many times will he continue to be doing that?
WE ARE TIRED OF THIS MADNESS!
All other teams have regular teams playing together except us. He introduces NEW people everyday! Let him GO away pls!
Guy you no get point. He is a coach ,he should try anyone he deems fit
Issue not supposed to be searching for better players eveeytime?. At least we see other countries do same .
@ Chris my namesake.
You took it from my mouth. Your comments are valid.
The man has done his best and not different from what others did in the past. Go check history book if you are in doubt.
There is a big room for improvement.
Most people tung lashing him are Chelsea fans who likes to open book of lamentation each time they are defeated.
No matter the coach you hire, Super Eagles or an African team will not win the forth coming world cup.
We do not wish to win the world cup, infact we don't ask him to do any miracle. Let the Super Eagles just play good football, this defending mentality and identity is wrong. Our players can't even string together 15 passes before losing the ball, we lack a clear identity and our defence has a penchant for allowing opponents easy goal. Imagine Sierra Leone coming from four goals down to get a draw. He has the talent. Since Atlanta never has the Eagles had souch talent overflowing in every position on the pitch. It's baffling why he would still be calling up Ighalo and Musa and even playing them. Moses Simon has never impressed in an Eagles shirt. Zaidu currently is in better form than Jamilu. The nepotism and favouritism he shows for a particular set of players is mind blowing. It's clear the Eagles can't really achieve much with this coach.
My brother you have said it all.
...I no blame Rohr,
na NFF give am the leverage to make such comment
I don't know how some people are comfortable with the performances of super eagles despite the talent the squad has. Cape Verde played far better football than Nigeria at Nigeria's home. No one is expecting him to win the world cup, but he should beat the likes of cape Verde, Liberia comfortable just like Senegal did. And no one should tell me that there are no minnows in football o. l will believe that when Iran wins the world cup or sheriff wins the champions league.
Sacking Rohr at this crucial time is wrong.World cup qualifiers is difficult no easy games.He met targets and should at least finish his contract.