The German-tactician five and half years spell as the coach of the three-time African champions is over following the decision of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)
The NFF has announced that it has sacked Gernot Rohr as the head coach of the Super Eagles, with Austin Eguavoen appointed to take over from the German on an interim basis.
The body revealed this on its website, saying it has decided to let go of Rohr after more than five years in charge of the team.
NFF’s statement read: The Nigeria Football Federation has appointed Mr Augustine Eguavoen, currently its Technical Director, 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, who has been in charge of the three-time African champions for the past 64 months and is Nigeria’s longest-serving manager.”
Rohr was appointed as Nigeria’s coach in 2016, and during his time, he led the team to the 2018 World Cup and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, where the Super Eagles finished third.
However, the former Burkina Faso manager has been under pressure for over a year due to the Super Eagles poor performances.
Although Nigeria qualified for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup playoffs under him this year, the general performance was not pleasing to watch, with many fans calling for his sack.
Following the completion of the second round of 2022 World Cup qualifiers, it was clear that Rohr’s position was untenable, and it was only a matter of time before he was sacked.
There had been rumours of his sack for weeks, but the NFF only confirmed it on Sunday night following a meeting with the Sports Minister last week.
Former Nigeria international Austin Eguavoen is now expected to lead the team to next year’s AFCON, which begins in less than a month in Cameroon.
Eguaoven is no stranger to the role as it will be his third spell as the head coach of the three-time African champions.
The former Gent defender was Nigeria’s coach between 2005-2007 before taking a caretaker role in 2010. He will be assisted by Salisu Yusuf, who was also Rohr’s assistant, Paul Aigbogun and Joseph Yobo.
Finally NFF took a decision on Coach Rohr! We will see. Time will tell whether this is right or wrong. God bless Nigeria
Good luck mr eguavon
Hmmmm!
Why are we always going back to our vomit? All the time Austin had been Nigeria coach or interim coach what has he done and that of salisu, coaches without coaching experience, where is Amunike or is there no other good indigenous coaches than Austin,? If Austin is the one really taking us to AFCON I pray the players should listen to him and do us proud.
Corruption flow
Good one from nff for sacking this waist of taxpayers money without playing pattern is time african coaches to take over our teams
Eguavon has coached Eagles woefully in the past. He’s not an up to date tactician. What are his past records. If they want a Nigeria coach, please not a coach of this calibre. He cannot handle this crop of players. He has NOTHING going for him. He’s just a Siddons look coach like Amodu. With him, forget Africa Cup, forget World cup. I just wish I’m dreaming!!!
What a huge mistake by NFF now we go back to the days of unattractive and unpurposeful playing pattern. Only defending and always 1-0 wins. Aah, football politics has won. Now we wait to see. Amaju Picnic doesn’t know this is how his detractors want him to leave the NFF as president. Too bad and so sad for Nigerian Football
Hahahahahahaha, the whole soccer world will laugh you guys, Nigeria missed it again and again, this is evil decision, while is Nigeria never decide anything right, for real why? The only thing that’s good now in Nigeria is music and jollof rice, hahahahahahahah
Omo Nigeria na cruise … Replacing a donkey ,with a goat …
This players are bigger than Eguavon , what has he achieved in football since his last spell as the super eagles boss ?
Greediness means having food on your mouth & reaching out for the ones in some else’s mouth. The money Nff are enjoying is too much to be shared with a good coach, that’s while they keep going for ones they will robbing & making our football to be at the receiving end of shame.
This is an eyesaw! Mr. Rohr got us to a Bronze Medal in 2019 AFCON and just when we were looking forward to the Gold or Silver Trophy come 2022 and here comes a clog in the wheel by NFF.
Well, there is the proverb that those who live in glass house should not throw stones. And NFF lives in a Glass House. This is equally the beginning of the downfall of Amaju Pinnick led NFF because Austin Eguavon from his track record will perform woefully again. Destroying all the structuring Mr. Rohr has helped us to put in place. In 1994, at the US ’94 it was Eguavon uncharacteristic tackle on Roberto Baggio and the eventual penalty that led to our outsted from the World Cup.
Can Eguavon manage the digital minded players like Iheanacho, Iwobi, Osimhen, Tyron et al?
What a big error please look for capable hands with result to show not your fellow political brothers who has nothing to offer our boys than to corrupt more the system. I say it bodly no hope for Nigeria in AFCON we will fail and come back with nothing. Nigeria na cruise
Greediness means having food on your mouth & reaching out for the ones in some else’s mouth. The money Nff are enjoying is too much to be shared with a good coach, that’s while they keep going for the ones they will be robbing & thereby, making our football to be at the receiving end of shame.
It’s a Pity…Few weeks to the AFCON and you’re sacking your coach. Instead of hiring a tactical coach that can effect immediate change, you’re bringing in Eguaveon…. it’s a Pity.
Right Decision but Wrong Timing
Right Decision but Wrong Timing and Replacement.
Sharing the hidden clause of about 60my or 600m might just be the course couple with the fact that appointing a substansove new one will bring in more Dollars to them .why should the man be sacked at quarter to Nations cup and world cup ?
Wobbling and fumbling are our watchwords in all spheres of the country. Don’t expect any good thing from this Nazareth
After the series of meeting,so this is the decision that NFF came out with…Eguavoen is not better than Salish Yusuf.NFF SHOULD HAVE GIVEN D JOB TO YUSUF AND AMUNEKE. then bring in HERVE RENARD, a foreign coach,he will watch the eagles from the stands at the AFCON.after the nations cup he will take over.
Well it’s not that the players are bigger than the new interim coach but the thing is that the new tactical approach is what we needed right now, bcos football nowadays is different let’s see maybe Mr eguavon will surprise us. I pray God will help him
NFF,
Kindly and promptly give us a veritable and enduring CHRISTMAS and New Year present by way of a tested and proven World Class Coach for the Super Eagles pleeeease!!! We want the Super Eagles to be Number One in World Football Ranking and for them to win the World Cup at least a dozen times in succession from now onwards! It is possible and practical. Do the correct thing. Leave the dirty politics out please! May the Lord GOD Almighty bless and guide you as you take this major step forward, Amen! Please act positively and promptly NOW! Thanks immensely and GOD bless you greatly and always, Amen!
Our expectations are very high in Nigeria when it comes to football, and so it should be, with all our talented players around the world, making waves; but with this new appointment, we are still far from getting it right. Time will tell and the heart aches is gonna come like thunder!
We seems to always find it difficult to take the bulls by the horns when it comes to leadership, in Nigeria. We have lots of passionate and experience professionals who could do a better job, why not bring them to the round table?
Must our nonchalant attitude towards every thing important continues to cause us all pains in this country; football is our dose of happiness in Nigeria and I wondered why it is not always given the best it deserves.
Let’s watch and see what Will be the out come of supper eagle in the up AFCON next year.
Whenever I see talk about Nigeria and football, All I remember was how joyous the Tahitians were when they got a goal against Nigeria like they have won the tourney. Its the blind hope that kill us. Rohr is clueless but he raised the level of a barely average team to be respectable in the least. Anything Nigerian Football has been set up to fail. The terrible pitches that cannot be maintained, poor administration. When they are ready to embrace the real cost of running football, you will start seeing the changes. They want to use nothing and get everything because they have blind faith that raw talent will always carry us through. Even the little the appropriate enter their eyes, you start seeing bribing and stealing here and there. No trust in the system. Can the real cost of running football be handled diligently by Nigerian, only in our wildest imagination. How come the play better outside the country. How come our friendly are more lively and always looks like a different team. Let’s manage and like the administrators pray miracles carry us through.
I am very ashamed that we Nigerians have no confidence in our local coaches, Rohr has coached Nigeria for more than five years and he has won nothing for Nigeria, why do we like failure? Why are we always afraid of change? Rohr will never win anything because he doesn’t have the technical and tactical knowledge to propel the team to any big win.
In 2001 Nigeria sacked Bondrere after we lost to Sierra Leone which coincidentally was their only victory, as at that time Nigeria was third behind Liberia and Ghana, Amadu Shuaibu and Stephen Keshi took the team and won the remaining matches, Nigeria ended up with 16 points to top Liberia.15 points Sudan 12 points Ghana 11 points Sierra Leone 4 points.
Unfortunately NFA fired Amadu and Keshi before the tournament and brought in Onigbinde who dropped 80% of the players that qualified Nigeria for the tournament.
Nigerian most successful coach till date is Stephen Keshi, who is a Nigerian man.
Why don’t we have faith in our local coaches who have won all the junior laurels for us.
Nigeria is well blessed with man and materials to be a world class country in every field of endeavour. Our problem has been that of visionless/misionless leadership. Unpatriotic set whose concerns end at self esteem as against selfless services. Not regarding performance and result as anything, rather banqueting incompetency in all failed projects. Why don’t these people transperentise and gazette their selection process by letting the people know the resumie of the probable indigenous coaches , vis a Vis their measurable achievements. we now know what a clueless coach like Rohr can offer yet decided to lower our guard and set the bar aside because coruption is a part of our DNA One thing is clear , we all reap what we sow. Sow bad decisions, reap bad results and failures. Nation and world cups are there for those who want them more , but our action negate the desire.
That man pinnik is not a human being. No wonder he has swollen mouth. How can you bring under fired coach again for Nigeria. Eguavon never won anything as a coach or Nigeria my country. Shame you pinnik, shame NFA, shame Sport ministry. An analogy coach if I may call him coach is on board no wonder we failed both in management and organization. Shame shame shame
NFF can u please tell us What are the credential or performances or achievement in coaching before giving the job
Regardless of Austin’s ill-experience and past history with the eagles, I trust he will do better than this coach.
He was with Amodu when we won our last Nations cup
It was Stephen Keshi that won our 3rd Nation Cup.
Undesirable replacement:(
Nigerian sports journalist I hope u are all happy and have achieved what u always wanted,having deceived pinnick now d whole blame is in him,how on Earth is Austin better than rohr,well no b Nigeria again where nothing works am not surprised u all are just bunch of confused greedy selfish set of people,damn nff and it’s president,Austin can go to hell,daft journalist can go brush thier stinking mouth cos they are all failures.
hahahahaha, I see it as been from friedpad to fire…… Sometimes I not know who is advising Nigerians government officials…
Pinnick, you’re very stupid.
Why bring back a serial failure like Eguavoen? We have Amunike, Amokachi, Finidi, Oliseh and many more others to call upon; your decision to go for Austin is suicidal to Nigerian football.
I hope all our ex-footballs in Nigeria, will take a cue from Cameroon football, where one of its illustrious son heads its football federation.
Instead of our ex-footballers going for NFF leadership, they’re comfortable with sponsoring football betting business, what a wasted generation…