Nigeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare, has passed a stern warning to the Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr, telling the German to wake up to his responsibility as Nigeria’s national team coach.
During a visit to the Abuja camp of the Super Eagles’ team preparing up for the international friendly against Mexico on July 4, the minister expressed dissatisfaction at the disposition of Rohr towards home-based players, even as he vigorously told the NFF to call the Franco-German coach to order.
The minister said: “Rohr’s attitude towards home-based players is unacceptable, it’s negative to our football development in this country and I call on the NFF to call him (Rohr) to order. I call on the NFF to call him to order and hold him accountable by the contents of his contract but beyond that, he (Rohr) needs to SHUT UP and do the work which he was hired to do. He talks too much.”
The minister canvassed for more injection of home-based players into the mainstream Super Eagles.
He added: “I’m happy that the conversation and the meetings we’ve had in the past several months with the NFF about changing the phase of our football development is beginning to bear fruits.
“I’m an advocate of a blend of home-based and foreign-based players to create a level playing field. They are all talented, so we need to give them an equal chance to compete for the Nigerian jersey. That has been the history and tradition of Nigerian soccer.
On the friendly game against Mexico in the United States, the minister said, “It really gladdened my heart when I heard that the team will be travelling to the USA to play a friendly against Mexico.
“The friendly is important as you have an opportunity to showcase your talents and also displace some players in the main team. Ensure that when you go out there, you make this country proud.”