Deborah Hassan, with agency report
365Daily – The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, on Thursday, November 18, 2021, refuted reports that it had sacked Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Gernot Rohr.
This is just as the Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare, disclosed that the Nigeria Football Federation will decide his fate next week.
Rohr had been reported by both local and international media early on Thursday, to have been given the boot by the NFF.
However, a statement by NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, issued on Thursday, in Abuja, denied the reports of Rohr’s sack as untrue.
The statement quoted the President of the NFF, Amaju Pinnick, as saying that no such decision had been taken.
“The Board of the NFF is studying the report of the Technical Committee, submitted after the match against Cape Verde in Lagos, on Tuesday.
“There are a number of possibilities, but we have not taken a decision to sack Gernot Rohr.
“I want to assure that whatever decision that is eventually taken will be one that will please the generality of Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Pinnick added that Rohr has a contract with the NFF which contains a procedure for disengagement.
“If we get to that bridge, both parties will look at the contract and see what has to be done both ways.
“The Super Eagles’ squad is a national asset and we are just fortunate to be in that space to take decisions.
“Any decision we take must be what will be acceptable to Nigerians from far and near,” he said.
Rohr, a former Germany international defender, has led the Super Eagles in 54 international matches over the course of five years and three months, winning 28 of those matches.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare, has disclosed that the NFF will decide the fate of Super Eagles head coach next week.
He told State House Correspondents on Thursday at the weekly ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communications team at the Presidential Villa that Rohr’s stay or departure is a decision to be made by the NFF.
He emphasised thay Rohr’s future with the Super Eagles would depend on a report to be submitted by the NFF in the coming days.
He said, “Once we have national matches like these, there is an operating procedure. First, the NFF will receive a technical report that analyses the game. And based on that, we will review, scrutinize and benchmark the report. Thereafter it will make a decision either about the players or about the coaching staff.
“The ministry is waiting for that report from the NFF. What it will contain or recommend, I cannot say for now. Before the end of the week, we’ll have that report and it will touch on many areas.
“We know what the concerns are. The Super Eagles lost the qualifier for Qatar 2022. We’ll do whatever is necessary and we’ll be timely about it to make sure Nigeria’s football is of the highest quality and that we’ll play in Qatar,” he assured.