Tag: Rohr

German coach Gernot Rohr, who took the Super Eagles to the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup but was sacked by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on the eve of that Qatar 2022 World Cup Africa Zone decisive play-off against Ghana to spare, is brimming with optimism for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with The Cheetahs of Benin, MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN reports…

After claiming the scalp of the Super Eagles in a 2-1 win in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group C MatchDay 4 qualifier at the Felix Houphouët Stadium in Abidjan on Monday, German coach Gernot Rohr has enthused about the possibility of leading ‘tiny’ Republic of Benin to their maiden Mundial appearance.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup otherwise known as FIFA World Cup 26 will be the 23rd quadrennial international men’s football championship to be jointly hosted across the North American countries of Canada, Mexico and the United States. It will also be the first to accommodate 48 teams with Africa guaranteed an automatic nine slots and an additional one inter-confederation play off slot.

Rohr’s Benin are drawn along with Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda, Lesotho and Zimbabwe in Group C, and the former Bayern Munich defender admitted that qualification for the World Cup 2026 is a distinct possibility for his side after claiming two successive wins of their campaign against Rwanda and Nigeria.

Rohr, who saw Nigeria to her last FIFA World Cup at Russia 2018 as well as qualifying the Super Eagles to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt but was shown the exit after securing the team’s ticket to the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon, believes he still has the magic wand to lead the recently rechristened The Cheetahs to their maiden Mundial appearance.

“Of course, with these victories (against Rwanda and Nigeria), we can dream (about 2026 World Cup qualification),” Rohr, who guided Bordeaux to the final of the UEFA Cup in 1996, told NationSports. “For Benin, this was the first victory against Nigeria in all its history of about 65 years.

“So, we are happy about this, for the country (Benin) is a nice country with good people.”

Admittedly, the Beninese side is not in the same length with the two gladiators in Group C, in the shape of the Super Eagles and Bafana Bafana of South Africa, the Franco-German Rohr, in his usual frank Teutonic style, said The Cheetahs are work in progress and won’t be overawed in the race towards getting a ticket to the enlarged 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“They (Benin) are working hard and at this moment, we are in with a chance to go to the World Cup and we can dream,” Rohr, whose Nigeria-led side became the first African team to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, further said. “Of course, I missed the last World Cup (Qatar 2022) with Nigeria and the memory of the first World Cup (Russia 2018) is still in my mind; and the dream is to dream again.”

Incidentally a little over a year ago, Rohr, in his first major after taking over the reins at The Cheetahs, in February 2023, told NationSports that he was not afraid of working his socks off to ensure that the Beninese side can be a ‘third force’ in African football.

“You know I’m not afraid of difficult jobs,” the experienced former Bordeaux and Nice coach exclusively told NationSport after he was unveiled in Cotonou. “Of course, I had good successes with Nigeria but this job (with Benin) is not the same thing like that of the Super Eagles.

“I’d been contacted long ago to come and coach Benin because I have some friends here in the federation and I also knew a lot of their players because some of them were either playing in France or Germany, but I needed a break after the Super Eagles to be with my family first before taking another job.”

He continued: “It would be difficult to have immediate success with the Benin Republic because they don’t have the same quality of players like in Nigeria who are playing with big clubs in Europe, for instance.

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“But this is a country that has a very good Under-20 team, so for the future they can be a very interesting team and the good thing is that they have also given me the opportunity to work with some of my staff like Mr. Tunde (Adelakun) who was with me in Nigeria and I think this is going to be very important for this job.”

Rohr can be regarded as a soothsayer after seemingly predicting what would become of The Cheetahs under his watch after taking the Beninese job while they were struggling to make it to the recently concluded AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire.

“Yes, it would be difficult (to qualify for the next AFCON) because they have already lost the first two matches,” he told NationSports in 2023. “We will try our best but it’s the future that we are even excited about because we can work towards qualification for the next World Cup in 2026 and the next AFCON (in 2025) after the one to be hosted by Cote d’Ivoire because I will be here for three years.”

Literarily taking a swipe at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on recent coaching exits with the country’s national football team, Rohr told NationSports, after helping to claim a famous win in Abidjan on MatchDay 4 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Abidjan, that constant changes of coaching personnel would continue to hinder the country’s potentialities and be its greatest undoing.

“It is not good for a team when you keep changing coaches because a coach needs time to be used to the new methods of training and organisation; and it is not also easy for the players,” Rohr, who previously had stints with Niger, Burkina Faso and Gabon, noted.

German coach Gernot  Rohr  has described tomorrow’s   semi-final  encounter  between  Nigeria and South Africa at the idyllic Stade de la Paix de Bouaké as the pick of the crop  of the ongoing  AFCON 2023 in Cote d’Ivoire.

While hosts  Cote d’Ivoire tackle battle-hardened  Democratic Republic of Congo  in the other semi-final match at the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara same day, Rohr said  Super Eagles  versus  Bafana Bafana  tie  has elicited  so much interests  based on the  pedigree  as well  as the rivalry  between  the two sides over the years.

He said with both countries  housed in the same 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Group C along with Rwanda,  Zimbabwe and Lesotho  and Benin ,  the ‘Battle of Bouake’ would  be intense  and gusty, adding a lot  of factors would be at play  to determine  the two teams  that would go into Sunday’s final.

  “Yes, from the four team of the semifinals, we  could expect that Nigeria; the Ivory coast (Cote d’Ivoire  and South Africa to make it  (to the last four) but the surprise is the Democratic Republic  of Congo,” Rohr, The Cheetahs of Benin coach who is  Abidjan as pundit for Ivory TV, told NationSports.

Read Also: AFCON: Avoid wild celebration, Nigerians in South Africa warned

“ The interesting thing now is that we are going to see both Nigeria and  South Africa who are in the same World Cup  qualifying group  in one of the semi-finals”

The vastly experienced  German tactician said  it would be interesting  to see  the Bafana  Bafana  made up of players  from the South  African league against  the Super Eagles populated with armada of foreign professionals complete with Napoli’s forward  and current African Footballer of the Year, Victor osimhen.

“I saw  South Africa against Benin   in November because we are  together in the same World Cup qualifying  group and they have good quality  and they have a lot of cohesion  because they have many players  from (Mamelodi) Sundowns, I think about eight in the team,” Rohr noted. “So it would be interesting to see them against Nigeria which is the favourite team of the competition.”

In the other semi-final match, Rohr said  the moment would be with the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in front of their partisan fans after  surviving  against many odds to reach  the  last four  of their own tournament.

 “The  Ivory Coast have had lots of favourable factors with lots of lucky situations(in this competition),”Rohr surmised.“ They have come back many times with the help of the public  and they have been fighting hard;  and hope they can just hold it (against DR Congo)  and  it  could be a  final between Nigeria and  the Ivory Coast.”

 Franco-German coach Gernot Rohr, in Abidjan as pundit for Ivory Tv, believes the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Cote d’Ivoire 2023  quarter final matches are delicately poised judging by the pedigree of the eight gladiators bidding for the  semi-final tickets.

Of the motley crowd, Nigeria, being a three-time champion, according to Rohr who  guided the Super Eagles to a bronze medal finish at 2019 AFCON in Egypt, are firm favourites but warned the Jose Peseiro-led side to be wary of the banana peel that has consumed some hitherto  favourites at the ongoing tournament in the cocoa-rich Cote d’Ivoire.

 “Yes, I think the match between Cote d’Ivoire and Mali is going to be very interesting game because the Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire) came back from the dead to qualify for the quarter-finals,”  Rohr, current coach of The Cheetahs of Republic of Benin, told NationSport. “The Ivory Coast, very, very enthusiastic now and all is possible for the home country, but Mali have one of the best midfield departments in this competition and they have been doing very well till now.

 “This is a match that can even go into extra time, but, in the end, Ivory Coast with their public(fans) have a chance to go onto the semifinals.”

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He continued with tonight’s mother-of-all battles between Super Eagles and Palancas Negras:

 “Nigeria and Angola; the Super Eagles are the favourites now because they did so well among the eight teams at this quarter finals  teams.

 “In fact, and for me, the Super Eagles the favourite number one and nobody has this attacking strength like Nigeria with the best player in Africa (Victor osimhen) and even with strong three central defenders, it might be difficult to beat Angola.

 “To beat Angola, they have  to put up very high spirit and solidarity because it won’t be easy, but in the end, the Super Eagles should go through.”

The winner of the Nigeria and Angola will meet the winner of the quarter-final tie between South Africa and Cape Verde, but Rohr is rooting for the Bafana Bafana to pull  through.

  “For me, South Africa will also go through and this could give a wonderful semifinals later against  Nigeria because they are in the same group (along with Benin, Rwanda and Lesotho) for the FIFA 2026 World Cup  qualifying tournament, and it is going to be very  interesting.

 “But Cape Verde are one of the best teams here in this tournament; and for the moment, playing very good quality football.

 “Finally, the Republic of Congo against Guinea, anything is possible here because they are two teams  on about the same level.

 “I think any of these two  teams can go through, though Guinea have good qualities and average advantage technically, but Democratic Republic of Congo are here without winning a match  but only draws and penalties.

 “Maybe they will try like Portugal did at the Euro 2016  and go on to win it despite their humble start.  But for me, favourite is Guinea, who is being coached by Kaba Diawara who used to be with me in Bordeaux and Nice. He’ s now a very good coach; and I’ll be happy for him,” the  vastly experienced 70-year-old Rohr added.

• German coach lists Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire as contenders

Barring peculiar stage fright  by some  teams in a tournament  of  Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON) magnitude, The Cheetah of Benin’s  German coach , Gernot Rohr,  has listed the  Super Eagles of Nigeria, Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire , Teranga Lions of Senegal  and one  north African  as  the  likely  winner of  Cote d’Ivoire 2023.

The 34th edition of the continental  showpiece event  will get  underway  in Abidjan today   as hosts  Cote d’Ivoire  clash with Guinea Bissau at the Stadium Olympic Alassane Ouattara and Rohr reckoned   that this  could be the fiercest  tournament ever as  hordes of favourites pitch themselves  against  the underdogs.

The Super Eagles will begin  their campaign  tomorrow  against Nzalang National of Equatorial Guinea in a match to be aired from 3pm Nigerian time on StarTimes Sports Premium Channel 252 and 246 as well as StarTimes-On app.

Yet Rohr who led Nigeria to their most recent best result  at the AFCON with a  bronze medal finish at Egypt 2019, said the  current  Super Eagles  under  Portuguese coach  Jose Peseiro  have enough qualities to be a major contender  at Cote d’Ivoire 2023.

“Yes, my team Benin (The Cheetahs), could not qualified  because  the team  was  not really in contention when I went there but it  was already too late(to qualify for AFCON 2023),” the former Bundesliga defender  who is one of the most experienced  foreign managers  in African football  today, told NationSport.“ Now,  we have to build new a team  with almost all  the players just  starting  their careers while  some others  like the captain  Stephane Sessegnon has left  and so we have a very  young team.

“ They had lost two matches in the qualifiers and though  they took  five points with, it was not enough for us to qualify but I think the future will be bright for us.”

Read Also: Rohr: Osimhen, Boniface can fireEagles to glory

Rohr who  has previously worked  in Tunisia, Niger, Burkina Faso and Gabon aside  his stint with the Super Eagles  and current job with the Beninese national team, would be the first to admit that 24 of the continent’s  best team  will be on parade  at Cote d’Ivoire 2023, adding  that no quarter  would be asked and none would be given  when the tournament gets underway today. 

“ Of course, we  have some of the best teams  in the Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire)  for the  AFCON and with lots of favourites  if we judge by the  African rankings  and we can see all these  wonderful teams ,” continued  Rohr  who also coached at French Ligue 1  side, Bordeaux.“ We have the defending  champions, Senegal and the hosts, Ivory Coast , Nigeria, Algeria and Morocco, and I think these are some of the favourites. “

 Speaking further,  the 70-year-old  tactician  said  experience  and game management  would be a key factor for any of the team desirous to be crowned African Champions  after  the tournament’s Final Match at the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara on February 11.

“ Experience will count at this AFCON in the Ivory Coast,” surmised Rohr.“  Like I told you, in each of the  regions in Africa , we have  good teams.

“ From North Africa, we have  Algeria ,Morocco and even Tunisia; in West Africa, we have the Ivory Coast, Senegal, Nigeria  and painful my former team,  Gabon are not but there  are lots of others in the (AFCON) and in each region they have good teams.”