Nigeria needed a quick fix for the biggest brand in the country. It was lying prostrate, waiting for the surgeon’s death certificate. The oxygen bag was running out of gas. There was panic everywhere. Nigeria had been eliminated in two consecutive Africa Cup of Nations, a competition which should be our birthright, given the exploits of our young men overseas.
Our age-grade teams were fumbling, losing to countries we could have beaten easily. Indeed, the female soccer teams were not faring better, in spite of the fact that we started the game much earlier than most African nations. The teams that made it to the world stage showed their naivety, no thanks to the quality of coaching the players were exposed to. So, the need for change became inevitable to revive the game.
Soccer is Nigeria’s most popular game. It is like a religion here. It unites Nigerians, such that when it is played everything comes to a halt – for the duration of the game. Most governments, especially during the jackboot era of the military used soccer as their biggest Public Relations (PR) tool. I remember how the Atlanta ‘96 Olympic Games’ gold medal team was celebrated on all the front pages of American newspapers, despite Nigeria’s pariah nation status in the Sani Abacha years.
People’s perception of the country changed, such that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was presented with Austin Jay Jay Okocha’s Paris Saint Germain (PSG) jersey during one of his visits to France. For a long time, the pre-face of the German Bundesliga had one of Okocha’s wonderful goals as the symbol of the domestic game.
So, when the door was thrown open for a foreign coach for Nigeria to re-jig our soccer, people waited to see the country’s choice. Many renowned coaches’ names were dropped. Some others with less pedigree than those who had handled the Eagles tried their luck. There was stalemate. The committee charged with the responsibilities of picking the new manager opted for Belgian Tommy Saintifet, who was rejected by former Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi. NFF President Melvin Amaju Pinnick sneezed at the choice, preferring Franco-German Gernot Rohr.
Blue murder, Technical Committee members screamed. Many Nigerians who rooted for a high profile manager for the Eagles, considering the stature of most of our Europe-based players, sneered at the choice.
Rohr’s previous records at Burkina Faso etc couldn’t match what the committee wanted. They considered the stature of our players as being too big for Rohr, who coached African countries whose players were not as big as ours. Some people argued that Clemens Westerhof and Johannes Bonfrere, who have the best records with the Eagles, didn’t have intimidating career records, but they picked our best players and gave them the feats they used to get other jobs after exiting the Nigerian job.
For Pinnick, it had to be Rohr based on researches he conducted with technical experts in FIFA and CAF. They recommended Rohr, despite his inexperience with big African team. Rohr was doing technical jobs for the German Football Federation. His employers were excited that he was being tipped for the Nigerian job. In fact, Pinnick talked with Rohr’s former employers in Africa. They recommended him strongly and cited his fatherly relationship with his players. Nobody was shocked by Pinnick’s actions, coming especially after the Sunday Oliseh saga. The buck stopped on Pinnick’s desk and he took the risk in giving Rohr the Nigerian job, a gamble he confesses he took that turned out very well.
Was it worth the gamble when most of our players were warming the bench in their European clubs? Yes. Rohr provided the missing link for our players by visiting their European clubs’ managers to find out what their problems were. Rohr’s sessions with our players’ managers changed their mindset about our relationship with our players beyond just playing for Nigeria.
These European managers got assurances from our coach. The discussions helped our players. It became easy for our boys to leave their teams and return without squabbles or losing their first team shirt. Unlike in the past when our players lost their shirts after coming home to play for their country.
Rohr succeeded because he watched our players. He didn’t rely on second parties before taking his decisions. He had an incredible scouting team that identified new players. But he watched them unnoticed – to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. Rohr’s players’ selection was flawless. Those who did well earned their places. It showed in the way the Eagles played.
Rohr’s biggest impact in the Eagles has been his decision to field younger players, which has drastically reduced the average age of our players to 26. We have a mobile team which competes at any pace during matches. In picking players, Rohr chose Nigeria-born lads whose ages we can vouch for to replace our stars in the twilight of their careers. Today, the Eagles can boast of Victor Moses, Leon Balogun, Troost-Ekong, Aina Ola and Alex Iwobi as some of the additions from Nigerians in the Diaspora.
I was in Ndola last year when Nigeria beat Zambia at home. Rohr ensured that the players bonded as a unit. He fought for new welfare packages for his boys. His methods enthralled them because they were seeing what they had in their European clubs. Nigerians forgot the code of conduct act which addresses discipline largely because Rohr is an advocate of keeping to camp rules. We had a few cases of players’ unruliness but the coach handled matters maturely.
Indeed, Rohr stood by his players in everything. He took responsibility when the team didn’t play well. He applauded them in victory but was quick to remind them of the task ahead – qualifying for the Mundial and doing very well. These attributes by the manager created the right synergy between the coaches and the players.
Rohr has used the last 11 months to introduce new players into the team, such that Nigerians can easily pick 14 who will be in the Eagles squad, barring injuries. The manager’s transparent handling of the team is such that no one will be surprised if Vincent Enyeama returns to the team. Enyeama stormed out of the team after a feud with the former Eagles manager Sunday Oliseh, himself an ex-international and captain of the team. Rohr thinks the team needs him. He wants to excel in Russia and needs our best, which is what he can get from Enyeama’s experience. It is heartwarming that Enyeama has been recalled by his France side. This will help him regain his form and agility. The NFF should let Enyeama return. At best, he could be made to apologise to the team.
Eagles’ defence is on the verge of being fixed. We can heave a sigh of relief about the central defence where Troost Ekong and Leon Balogun have been awesome. We can smile now that Mohammed has mastered his act at the right back position. Many people have blamed Elderson Echiejile for his role in the left back position. I shudder to differ here. Those who function on the left side for the Eagles’ attacking line hardly fall back to retrieve the ball. This flaw leaves Echijile with the task of marking the opposition’s right back, their right sided midfielder and their right winger. Marking three men is quite an impossible task. Rohr needs to instruct Victor Moses, Mikel Obi and Alex Iwobi to fall back. Iwobi does; Moses and Mikel don’t.
I have watched Eagles’ game against Zambia in Uyo. I noticed that our defenders could not sprint. The Zambians outran us in the defence. You need to check this flaws, knowing that most big strikers are fast. I don’t think that Eagles midfield can compete against teams with taller and bigger players. Our players can easily be shoved aside. We need strong markers, such as Oguenyi Onazi. The Mundial is a different kettle of fish.
Like a true professional, Rohr has asked his employers to settle all financial issues with the players before the camp opens. NFF chieftains rose from their Annual General Assembly (AGA) on Thursday in Jos with some resolutions.
According to NFF Second Vice Chairman Shehu Dikko: ‘’NFF would work to ensure we discuss and agree all fundamental issues with the players and officials as per training camps, bonuses, allowances, appearance fees, rewards etc for the World Cup 2018 and agreement put in place before the year 2017 runs out and so the players in the World Cup squad would know what they are entitled to, what they get for performances and when and how the money would be paid and from which source. So this would certainly ensure a rancour-free and optimum motivation and concentration for the World Cup by all parties which could help deliver a great performance.
‘’ NFF have the objective to see if we can prosecute the World Cup with “Zero Public Budget” meaning we will give it our best shot to source funding from our sponsors, new commercial and business development activities, fees from participation at the World Cup etc to fund the World Cup activities. Hopefully, we will achieve this noble objective and we may end up even declaring surplus from participation at the World Cup and or worst case require little intervention from public purse.’’
So help us God, my father would always say to such propositions.
