With 28 days to the commencement of African’s biggest football showpiece, the delayed 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) is to be hosted by Cameroon from January 9th-6th of February 2022. The Nigeria Football Federations (NFF) has announced the dismissal of her German tactician Gernot Rohr after six years in charge of the team which isn’t a good omen to the team competing.
Was The Timing Right For Nigeria Preparing For Their Fourth AFCON Glory?
The discission to sack Rohr at this critical time isn’t a good timing for the Super Eagles who are preparing and gunning for their fourth African Nations Cup glory in Cameroon haven won the competition thrice with the last triumph coming nine years ago in South Africa after defeating Burkina Faso 1-0 in the final under the tutelage of late Stephen Keshi.
The sacking of the National team coach days to a major tournament has always proven to be a wrong decision for Nigeria, taking our memories back to 2002 when late coach Shuabu Amodu was relieved of his duties some months to the commencement of the Korea and Japan 2002 FIFA Worldcup and was replaced by Chief Adeboye Onigbinde, that was the first time Nigeria failed to reach the second round of the World Cup as they exited the tournament with just one point earned from the draw against England.
Late Shaibu Amodu was yet again at the receiving end as he was sacked months to the first-ever FIFA World Cup hosted on Africa soil in South Africa 2010, being replaced by Swedish Lars Lergaback, that World Cup outing also turned out to be a disappointing one for Nigeria who ended up with just one point earned also in the last group match against South Korea.
Was Gernot Rohr A Failure?
After missing out on two previous African cup Nations tournaments in 2015 and 2017, the Nigeria Football Federation in August 2016, appointed Coach Gernot Rohr on a four-year deal.
He was however given the mandate to qualify Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and the 2019 African cup of Nations in Egypt and take the team to the Semi-finals which were duly met as Nigeria won bronze at the AFCON which earned him a contract renewal as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Amaju Pinnick on 27th May 2020 announced that all contractual agreement has been concluded for Rohr to extend his contract with the team.
He was given a target of guiding the team to win the 2021 African Cup Nations in Cameroon. The new contract also includes qualifying the Super Eagles to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Gernot Rohr going by his target having qualified the team for the 2021 AFCON and final round of qualifying for the World Cup playoffs cannot be ‘tagged’ a failure as he has met all contracted targets given to him by his employers.
Is Augustine Eguavoen The Right Choice?
Augustine Eguavoen who has on two occasions handled the Super Eagles on an interim basis in 2005, and 2010, has yet again been handed the barton alongside Salisu Yusuf, Paul Aigbogun, Joseph Yobo, Alloy Agu to lead the team to next year’s competition pending on when a substantial coach would be announced.
In 2005 Augustine Eguavoen was asked to take charge of the team following the sack of Christian Chuckuwu, He took the team to a third-place finish at the 2006 African cup of Nations in Egypt. In 2010 he was also appointed the caretaker coach replacing Swedish Lars Lagerbäck who left after an abysmal showing at the Worldcup in South Africa.
Eguavoen after being named the Coach of the Nigeria U-23 team in 2010 failed to qualify the team for the London 2012 Olympic games after being knocked out in the group stage which led to his resignation on 5 December 2011.
His last managerial job was with Nigeria Professional Football League side Sunshine Stars in 2017 which didn’t end well as he was sacked midway into the season following a series of poor results.
Augustine Eguavoen going by his last job isn’t the right man to lead the Super Eagles to glory in Cameroon, as his tactical abilities are questionable, isn’t up to date with the current flow of modern football.
My Verdict
Sacking of Gernot Rohr should have been a decision taken long in October before their final Qatar 2022 Worldcup qualifying Group matches against Liberia and Cape Verde in November which would have provided the new coach with the opportunity of seeing the competitive alertness of his team as he prepares for the AFCON next year.
The sacking of Gernot Rohr by the Nigeria football federation at this critical point only shows how clueless and myopic the country’s football body is, which further reveals the incompetency of the Amaju Pinnick-led Nigeria Football Federations Board.