I almost quit Eagles during NFF leadership crisis – Rohr

Super Eagles Head Coach Gernot Rohr has said he was closed to quitting his post during the crisis that engulfed the Nigeria Football Federation shortly after the 2018 World Cup. Rohr recalled the crisis reached a boiling point when it was suggested the country was on the verge of been thrown out of African Cup of Nations.

“I had to call the President of the NFF, Amaju Pinnick, that I had no job again if we are thrown out of AFCON; thankfully he spoke with me at length dismissing our fears that everything would be alright soon,” he said. He said he was approached by many countries to manage their squads during the period but he decided to remain with Nigeria. “I had good coaching offers from North African countries after the World Cup but I rejected it because I like Nigeria. But I hope my contract with the NFF will be respected,” he said. Successive coaches had been made to submit their programmes and squad lists to the technical committee of the NFF but Rohr said his contract with federation negated that exercise. “I submit my list to the President, General Secretary and the Technical Committee Chairman.

As part of my contract, nobody can make a list for me,” he said. Rohr said he wished to work more with coaches of all the national teams, to create a uniform playing philosophy in the country. “That is how it is done in other countries; I have written a proposal to the NFF to see how we can work more with these coaches from U-17 to the main team so that they can benefit from the way the senior national team plays. We have a robust relationship with the CHAN team and we want to replicate it with other sides down the line,” he said.