The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Gernot Rohr

Howard canvasses friendlies for Eagles

Super Eagles will need grade A friendly matches to shape up ahead of the second phase of World Cup qualifiers in August. This was the submission of former international Franklin Howard while assessing the performance of the Gernot Rohr led side so far.

He described two victories in a roll against Zambia and Algeria respectively as a major boost noting however that non-qualification for the Nations cup in January in Gabon means the team will have to wait for close to nine months before the next set of qualifiers. Such long gap according to him can affect performance unless efforts are made to organise friendly matches that will ensure that the current blend among players continues.

“We just have to ensure that they boys play quality friendly matches to shape up for the next phase, they have done very well so far but will need to continue the blend to consolidate,” he said.

The former 3SC coach dismissed debates in some quarters over whether the team can continue to lead the group, insisting that it would be difficult for both Cameroon and Algeria to clinch victories in Ndola like the Eagles did.

“After losing at home to Eagles the Zambians will want to avoid another home defeat so it will be difficult for other teams in the group to win in Ndola,” he predicted.

Of the four teams in the group Cameroon and Algeria qualified for the AFCON 2017 in Gabon while Nigeria and Zambia failed to make it.

November 15, 2016
Mutiu: Rohr can take Eagles to special heights

Former Nigeria international Mutiu Adepoju has claimed that current Gaffer of the Super Eagles Gernot Rohr can lead the team to ‘special heights’ following his 100% start to life in charge of the three-time African champions.

Nigeria are top of Group B of the CAF 2018 World Cup qualifier after wins over Zambia and Algeria.

However, after lacklustre performances by the team which resulted in failure to qualify for two consecutive African Nations Cup, Mutiu have been very impressed by the resurgence of the Super Eagles under the guidance of the German.

“It is commendable how Gernot Rohr has improved team work in the Eagles and the players have developed a good team spirit which is very important for the growth of any team in the world,” Mutiu told SportingLife.

“Right from the first time I met the Eagles manager, he looks calm and have convinced me that he can take the team to a special height.

“Going forward the team should not be complacent because there are still four matches to be played so they should stay focused.”

Some section of the media observed that the Super Eagles last seven goals in competitive matches have been scored by players plying their trade in the premier league but Mutiu insists that it was a collective effort and it doesn’t matter who scores.

“Goals can be scored by anybody so we shouldn’t just look at the fact it is being scored by players in the premier league or in the Nigerian league. It’s lovely that the players are in form,” the headmaster informed.

Nigeria leads Group B with six points, four more than second placed Cameroon while Zambia and Algeria have a point each in third and four place respectively.

November 15, 2016
Nigeria 3-1 Algeria: Moses, Mikel fire Eagles to vital win

Chelsea duo Victor Moses and John Obi Mikel starred as Nigeria moved into full control of their World Cup qualifying group with a 3-1 home victory over Algeria in Uyo.
Moses and Mikel were on target in the first half, before Nabil Bentaleb’s goal after the break gave Algeria hope of a comeback.
But Moses scored his second in the final moments as Gernot Rohr’s side won their second straight game in the final stage of CAF qualification.
The win puts the Super Eagles four points clear of nearest challengers Cameroon in Group B, with Algeria and Zambia a further one behind. Only the pool winners will make it to Russia in 2018.
Moses had already created the best early chance in the first meeting between the two sides since the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations when he cut inside and fired wide, but the Chelsea winger made no mistake after 25 minutes.
After collecting a pass from Mikel, Moses took advantage of poor defending from Hicham Belkaroui to fire into the bottom corner, before being booked for removing his shirt in celebration.
Bentaleb squandered a wonderful chance to equalise for Algeria, firing over from eight yards after controlling from Yacine Brahimi’s excellent run and cross down the left – and that miss cost the visitors when Nigeria doubled their lead three minutes before the break.
Etebo Oghenekaro’s pass found a shocked Mikel completely unmarked in the middle of Algeria’s box after he had been played onside by full-back Aissa Mandi and the captain finished with ease for his first international goal in over three years.
Algeria pressed in a bid to get back into the game and Bentaleb scored a stunning goal with 23 minutes remaining, rifling into the top corner from 30 yards after being found by Riyad Mahrez.
Brahimi then came close with two late efforts, but Moses grabbed his second in stoppage-time, finishing coolly from substitute Ahmed Musa’s cross as Nigeria secured a win that puts them in a strong position with four games to play.

November 12, 2016
Mikel, Musa, 18 others participate in Eagles’ first training session

Captain Mikel Obi, Ahmed Musa and 18 others on Tuesday took part in the Super Eagles’ first training session at the National Stadium, Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mikel and Musa were among the latest arrivals at the team’s camp on Monday night.

The team was separated into three groups and began with a light walk-out and head-tennis training under the watchful eyes of Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr and Coach Salisu Yusuf.

Mikel, Odion Ighalo, Ogenyi Onazi, William Troost-Ekong, Moses Simon and John Ogu made up the first group.

The second group had Victor Moses, Musa, Kenneth Omeruo, Kingsley Madu and Uche Agbo.

Kelechi Iheanacho, Alex Iwobi, Musa Mohammed and Wilfred Ndidi were in the third group, while goalkeepers Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Daniel Akpeyi trained separately.

NAN observed that Ezenwa was very sharp in goal and displayed good reflexes, while his counterpart, Akpeyi was a little jaded and lacked match fitness.

Mikel showed some sign of class and precision in his touches and passes, while Victor, Iheanacho and Iwobi were in excellent form.

The trio of Leon Balogun, Brown Ideye and Shehu Abdullahi who were nursing knee and ankle injuries were engaged in light ball work.

NAN, however, reports that Goalkeeper Dele Alampasu, Elderson Echiejile and Oghenekaro Etebo have yet to arrive at the camp.

The Super Eagles are expected to hold another training session later on Tuesday.

The Super Eagles will lock horns with Algeria in crucial Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Saturday.

November 8, 2016
W/Cup qualifier: Ogu hit Eagles camp late Monday night

Hapoel Beer Sheva midfielder John Ogu breezed into the country yesterday night and immediately headed for the Super Eagles camp in Abuja.

The 27-year-old last featured for the senior national team against Chad in 2015 but following a fine season in Israel which saw him voted the best player in the league an invitation was extended to him by new Super Eagles manager Gernot Rohr for the match against the Desert Foxes of Algeria on Saturday.

Ogu expressed his readiness to help Nigeria make the World Cup in 2018 as he looks to cease the opportunity of his return to the national team fold.

“Another victory last night. God is great. Ready for the biggest challenge for my Nation to qualify for the World Cup #IBELIEVE,” Ogu tweeted after Beer Sheva’s game against Hapoel Ashkelon at the weekend.

Hapoel Be’er Sheva are currently top of the Israeli league with 22points after nine matches.

November 8, 2016
Nigeria vs Algeria: Iheanacho, Onazi, Ndidi storm Eagles camp on Monday

Ahead of the 2018 World Cup qualifier against Algeria in Uyo, the trio of Kelechi Iheanacho, Wilfred Ndidi, and Ogeyi Onazi are set to storm the Super Eagles camp in Abuja on Monday, SportingLife gathered.

The trio who are part of the 24-man squad invited by manager Gernot Rohr will touch down in Lagos on Sunday before heading out to the Federal Capital Territory.

Ndidi has been in spectacular form for Belgium side Genk and was on the scoresheet on Thursday night in the Europa League when they lost 5-3 to Athletic Bilbao away from home.

On his part, Iheanacho has scored three goals in the premier league so far with three assists for Manchester City and although he was on the bench against Middlesbrough at the weekend, he is tipped for a big future under Spanish manager Pep Guardiola.

Trabzonspor midfielder Onazi had already confirmed his arrival as he tweeted that he will be at the venue of the Federation Cup match between Ifeanyi Ubah and Nasarawa United which will be played at the Teslim Balogun Stadium by 3:00pm in Lagos.

The former Lazio midfielder may likely be in the company of Super Eagles manager Gernot Rohor who is scheduled to also be at the stadium to witness the encounter before leaving for camp on Monday.

November 6, 2016
Akpeyi replaces Ikeme in Eagles squad

Chippa United goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi has been invited as replacement for injured Wolves star Carl Ikeme by Super Eagles manager Gernot Rohr ahead of next week’s 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Algeria in Uyo.

The 30-year-old was in the Nigeria U20 squad that finished as runners –up at the 2005 FIFA U20 World Cup in the Netherlands, and was also in the bronze –winning U23 team at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament in Brazil in August this year.

The former junior international is a direct replacement for Super Eagles number one, Carl Ikeme, whose English club Wolverhampton Wanderers wrote to the Nigeria Football Federation that he would be unavailable as a result of injury.

The Super Eagles take on the Fennecs of Algeria in Uyo on Saturday, 12th November, in a Match day 2 clash of the African race for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

November 2, 2016
Eagles will deliver in Ndola – Rohr

Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, has expressed optimism that the team would deliver in Sunday’s 2018 World Cup qualifier against Zambia in Ndola.

Rohr said during the team’s interactive session with journalists on Friday in Abuja that Nigeria would get an outright victory over the Chipolopolo in the encounter.

He said Nigeria was blessed with abundant talents and assured that the players presently in camp were capable of defeating any team.

The German tactician revealed that Arsenal forward, Alex Iwobi, would lead the Eagles’ attack against the Zambians on Sunday.

He assured that as professionals, the players would adapt to the bad playing pitch in Ndola.

“We have six new players and three will perhaps start the game,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted Rohr as saying to journalists on Friday.

“You know that a player like Iwobi was injured last time but we all know that he is a good player and I hope his integration in the team will produce result in Ndola.

“The training has been good and we try to help and bring him into the team, he knows how we played in Uyo and we cannot change tactically because the time is short.

“We have other strategies but similar to what we did in Uyo, and I count on Iwobi to help us win the game in Ndola.

“We must avoid the mistake in Uyo where we had 27 shots on goal but converted only one and this means that we must have a good attack and players who can score.”

He also said the technical crew had watched the latest video of the Zambian national team.

October 7, 2016
WCQ: Rohr invites two NPFL stars to replace Moses, Success

Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, has called two players from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) to replace the injured English Premier League (EPL) duo of Victor Moses and Isaac Success.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in a statement issued on Monday by its Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, said the new call-ups were direct replacement for the injured players.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the invited NPFL stars are Wikki Tourists striker, Joshua Obaje and Chisom Egbuchulam of newly crowned league champions Rangers of Enugu

Nigeria plays Zambia in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Ndola, Zambia, on Sunday.

October 3, 2016
W/Cup: Omeruo, Iwobi return as Mikel leads Eagles against Zambia

Months after his last appearance for the Super Eagles, Alanyaspor of Turkey defender Kenneth Omeruo and Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi make a return to the national team as Chelsea’s John Mikel Obi tops the list of 23 players invited for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Zambia’s Chipolopolo in Ndola on October 3.

In the list released on Thursday by the Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, the Franco-German tactician retained belief in the squad that piped Tanzania 1-0 in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match in Uyo on September 3, with the inclusion defender Kenneth Omeruo, Belgium –based mid-fielder Anderson Esiti and English Premiership duo Isaac Success and Alex Iwobi.

Skipper Mikel John Obi, assistant skipper Ahmed Musa, goalkeeper Carl Ikeme, defender Elderson Echiejile, mid-fielder Ogenyi Onazi and in –form Manchester City of England forward Kelechi Iheanacho are in the 23 –man roster.

Rohr has excused Watford FC forward Odion Ighalo, who will attend his father’s burial in Nigeria on Saturday, 8^th October – eve of the big match at the Levy Nwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.

Injured KAA Gent of Belgium striker Moses Simon is listed after assuring Coach Rohr that he has started treatment and would be fully healed well ahead of the encounter.

All invited players are expected to start arriving in Abuja from Sunday, October 2.

The invited players are:

Goalkeepers – Carl Ikeme (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England); Emmanuel Daniel (Enugu Rangers); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (FC IfeanyiUbah).

Defenders – Leon Balogun (FSV Mainz 05, Germany); William Paul Ekong (Haugesund FC, Norway); Kenneth Omeruo (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Jamiu Alimi (Kano Pillars); Abdullahi Shehu (Anorthosis Famagusta, Cyprus); Musa Muhammed (Istanbul Basaksehir, Turkey); Elderson Echiejile (Standard Liege, Belgium), Kingsley Madu (SV Zulte Waregem, Belgium)

Midfielders – Mikel John Obi (Chelsea FC, England); Ogenyi Onazi (Trabzonspor, Turkey); Wilfred Ndidi (KRC Genk, Belgium); Nosa Igiebor (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel); Anderson Esiti (KAA Gent, Belgium)

Forwards – Ahmed Musa (Leicester City, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City, England); Moses Simon (KAA Gent, Belgium); Victor Moses (Chelsea FC, England); Isaac Success (Watford FC, England); Brown Ideye (Olympiacos FC, Greece); Alex Iwobi (Arsenal FC, England)

September 22, 2016