AFCON: Awards Organisers Blame Rohr for Eagles’ Poor Performance
The failure of former Super Eagles coach Genort Rohr to build a formidable team was largely to blame for the Super Eagles’ early exit from the 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroun, according to the organisers of the Nigeria Pitch Awards.
“If we look at it critically, previous Head Coach Rohr failed to build a formidable team for Nigeria, and I applaud the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for taking the bold move of sacking him before the AFCON,” said Shina Philips, the event’s president, in an interview.
Former and current Nigerian athletes, administrators, and journalists receive Pitch Awards in recognition of their excellent contributions to sports in Nigeria.
Phillips, reacting to the Super Eagles’ early elimination from the present AFCON in Cameroun, noted that while the Super Eagles’ elimination by the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia was heartbreaking, it was not an uncommon occurrence.
“The result in the AFCON though painful, was not unexpected. It is not that I am not patriotic enough not to believe in the team, there are other underlining factors.
“When there is a major tournament, like AFCON, we should know that the best team will win because it is a long-term plan, but I can’t say that about Nigeria.
“The interim coach, Austin Eguavoen was given a short time to assemble the team to the AFCON, and we should note that we have not had a first eleven team for a long time,” he said.
Phillips noted that the Nigerian players to the AFCON 2021 performed individually and not on the team’s strength which made the team to lack technical depth.
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