Earlier this month, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) took a bold decision to sack Gernot Rohr as the coach of the Nigerian national team.
The decision did not come as a surprise, though, but the timing was shocking as it came just four weeks before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Nonetheless, while Rohr might feel disappointed, it was the right decision. It was clear the Super Eagles had regressed under the German, and a new direction was needed.
While the team did qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations and sealed their spot in the 2022 World Cup playoffs under him, the performance was a hard one to take for Nigerian fans, which made Rohr’s position untenable.
However, while Rohr deserved to go, it is unlikely to change the Super Eagles fortunes, no thanks to the embarrassing behaviour of the NFF president Amaju Pinnick.
Ever since he got elected in 2014, Pinnick has made many wrong decisions that have been detrimental to the development of football in Nigeria.
But the latest one could cost the Super Eagles the little chance they have in winning the AFCON and a place in the World Cup.
Following the sacking of Rohr, former Nigeria international Austin Eguavoen was appointed as the interim boss, pending the appointment of a permanent coach.
It was expected that Eguavoen would lead the team to Cameroon. But surprisingly, with just two weeks to go, Pinnick told journalists on Thursday that a foreign manager would be appointed next week as the team’s permanent boss.
But it is a decision that does not help the team, especially with just two weeks before the start of the competition.
While other teams are busy naming their squad for the competition, the three-time African champions are still unsure who leads them to Cameroon.
This is an act of irresponsibility on the part of the NFF, led by Pinnick. The 51-year-old added that he asked Roma coach Jose Mourinho and ex-Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger for recommendations as the NFF searches for a permanent replacement for Rohr.
Aside from the fact that it is probably Pinnick making himself the centre of attention and he did not meet any of the two coaches, the information does not in any way benefit the team.
Pinnick has shown over time that he likes playing to the gallery and cares about his image. So it will not be ridiculous to say that his words were just to satisfy his ego, and he did not talk to any of the two great managers.
Although bringing in another foreign manager to replace Rohr is not a bad decision, the timing is odd, especially with just two weeks before the commencement of AFCON.
The new manager will not have enough time to prepare the team, given most of the players will only arrive just a week before the competition starts due to their club commitments.
And with that in mind, the logical thing to do will be to allow Eguavoen to take the team to Cameroon. After all, the former Gent defender is familiar with most of these players as he was the technical adviser to the NFF before Rohr was sacked.
As of now, Nigerian fans still do not know the players that will represent the country when the competition kicks off on January 9, which is a shame.
This is not an ideal situation for the team, and it only shows that Pinnick is only concerned about his image and not what is best for the team.
And it is not just about the Super Eagles alone. Football in Nigeria has declined under him. The youth teams have failed to qualify for the World Cup in recent years, while the Super Falcons are a shadow of their former self.
The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) has not improved under his watch. Last week, it was announced that Enyimba had been booted out of the CAF Confederations Cup for what is not their fault.
Yet, Pinnick, one of the CAF representatives on the FIFA executive council, could not help the People’s Elephants fight their case.
But while this is a piece for another day, his handling of the Super Eagles managerial situation could cost the team a decent outing in the AFCON and potentially a World Cup spot.
It is time he stops making himself the centre of attention and does what is best for the team.
Pinnik is also a big loser and clueless for Nigerian football, with more and more lapses he had done before on Nigerian football just like he hired clueless coach like Rhor and then has left him for more time than sacking him from his job; at that time Rhor has committed many errors like his boss Pinnk like playing without pattern of pkaying, recalling a weak and lazy and shaky players who have cost Super Eagles many errors like William Troost and Leon Balogun on Sierra Leone and Algeria and Centeral Africa matches; Rhor is an enemy of genius players like Akinkunmi Amoo , Dennis Bonavonture, Godfry Oboabona , Sadiq Umar, Usman Mohammed, Alhassan Ibrahim, James Igbikemi, Okechukwu Azubuiki, Tyronne Ebuehi who can grant him aquality on SE then will lead SE to the new era or new high; SE should to be a formidable team from that time; Rhor has administerated SE for five years which can change SE shape on African football. We blame Pinnik who has manys errors like contracting with clueless coach with a bad penal condition which allows Rhor to be sitll for a long time on administrating SE; this condition is if NFF would like to abrogate the contaract with thier will, they should to pay tow million dollars; also Pinnk has left Rhor for along time on SE techincal organ with his errors; then Pinnik sacked him on coming close of Afrcon. in Cameroon ; about four weeks from the tournament; then appointed Agustine Eguavoen as interim coach for SE on the final Afcon. Cup in Cameroon; also the big error again he would like to appoint a foreign coach with the same time of Eguavoen appointment; we ask Pinnk who is the name of coach or who leads SE in Afcon. in Cameroon?; Pinnik should to appoint promptly and directly a foreign or local coach for SE than to appoint tow coaches on the same time.
He should have allowed eguavon to take us afcon
hasssan tia why will u say balogun and ekong are not player always think before u talk please can u just write u phone no 4 me when u read dis
Qualifying for the World Cup is the focus of the NFF from what I read so far. Therefore hiring a substantive coach now to familiarize himself with the players before the World cup qualifier final push is the right decision. Something have to give and there is no right or wrong time to hire a new coach for the team. Besides, most decision made by the NFF Chairman is a collective decision made with the consent of the executive committee.. Therefore, I found your posting to be unfair and self serving.
The decision to sack Rohr might look like a wrong one now but in my opinion the man had lost control of the players especially the ever present members of the team.
Eguavoen remains as Technical Director or Adviser in the team and any coach worth his salt can mould the team that has been together for 5years to what he wants them to be in the time left to prepare.
The boys possible will not be together for than two weeks before the tournament proper
Why is soccernet so pained that Rohr is gone! You guys wrote everything to see that the inept coach was retained.
I agree with the post because the sacking of rohr is a bad decision because we have not learned our lesson how we fired some coach shaibu before the France and Korea world how we lost pretty bad after we fired our a day before the tournament could start , to me what Nigeria coach should be is a good Nigeria coach not a foreign coach so is pinnick tell our that we do not have a strong Nigeria like findi George or Emmanuel amunike who can lead this to world cup glory , to pinnick need to fired
Hassan Tia, you like dropping names of PLAYERS anyhow. So if you are the coach, you will play OBAOBONA (pls tell.us where he plays or team) ahead of BALOGUN and EKONG?
Who is Igbekeme?’where does he play?’how many matches has he played this season pls?
What about AZUBUIKE, Usman Mohammed? Who will they bench? How many matches has he played for SIVASPOR this season? Who will Usman who plays in Israel and not a regular bemch in that midfield sir?
ROHR, yes is clueless and lacks tactical and technical finese, but not those players you mentioned with the exception of ALHASSAN and DENNIS. Even Sadiq has not proven himself in a league that the likes of AWONIYI, DESSERS, ONUACHU and OSIMHEM have proven themselves.
Spain second DIVISION and SERBIA league are inferior to BELGIUM, Italy, France and Germany my brother.