The minister of youth and sports, Sunday Dare has asked the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) to ensure that Gernot Rohr produces results in consonance with the contract he signed.
Sunday Dare made this demand from the NFF in a meeting with them to address issues as it concerns the performance of the Super Eagles at the AFCON qualifiers and to discuss the way forward after.
Ever since the poor performance of the super eagles in the 2022 AFCON qualifiers, the minister hasn’t taken it lightly with Gernot Rohr and the Super Eagles at large.
He said, “The recent dismal performance of the Super Eagles in their qualifiers against Sierra Leone has raised a few concerns and brought to fore the need to do a quick critique. The government, while concerned about the dismal performance and non-discernible pattern of play and team harmony in the Super Eagles is looking beyond the outcome of Nigeria versus Sierra Leone matches and AFCON. We are looking at the present and future administration of football that speaks to the development of the front room and backroom.
“The NFF must tightly hold the head coach to the KPIs in his contract. Thus, we cannot wait for those conditions to come to life before we tighten the screws or demand higher or better performance, better technical depth, better player mix, and team harmony, and a functional national team, else Nigeria and Football lovers in Nigeria will be the greatest losers. In this area, NFF must take the necessary steps and actions beyond Rohr to protect our football fortunes.
“The federal government will ask the tough and relevant questions. The NFF should do the same The right of Nigerians to ask of government and indeed NFF explanations for dismal performances and football administration cannot be simply characterized as interference. On our part, we will work to support the NFF but we will also demand for answers and changes too on behalf of Nigerians. CAF and FIFA while we appreciate their working partnerships are expected to support Nigeria in its quest to ensure an effectual football administration.
“Football is now both business and politics. A tool of diplomacy. Governments are more than interested in how its run. The FGN is interested even beyond that. Football is a source of national pride. A rallying point and promoter of peace and Unity.
“Nigeria at this point must use the opportunity of the outcome of the Nigeria/Sierra Leone March to x-ray the other factors beyond because that must have contributed to the dismal performance. We must raise the necessary interrogatories about the general administration around the team, the absence of local content or home-based players in the team, the domestic league development and growth, issues of ethics, nutrition, Psychology, content, and so on.
“NFF should be more concerned about the failure of technical depth and absence of a defense mechanism which was glaring during the encounter with Sierra Leone rather than the rush to defend the contract of the Technical Adviser.
“Starting now, Nigeria must demand higher or better performance from the technical adviser. We can’t wait until he fails to qualify our team for AFCON and the World Cup before we start to ask the tough questions. In this respect, I charge the NFF leadership to immediately take necessary steps to protect our football fortunes working with the MYSD”.
Responding to what the minister said, NFF President, Mr. Amaju Pinnick told the minister that the needful would be done and that there are certain plans which would be put into effect.
Some of these plans are changes to the administrative structure that will include a physical trainer, nutritionist, a psychologist, and two-match readers or more, bringing into the super eagles’ squad three to four home-based players from the Nigeria professional football league, the coach must-watch weekly games of the NPFL, and that there would be a guide with which would be used to access the performance of the technical crew and the super eagles at large.
