Connect with us

AFCON

Pressure mounts on embattled Rohr as Sports Ministry demands for World Cup qualifiers’ technical report

Published

on

Nigeria’s sports minister, Sunday Dare and Gernot Rohr

The ministry of sports in Nigeria has demanded from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), a technical report on the recently concluded group stage of the World Cup qualifiers.

According to a press release on Sunday, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Ismail Abubakar has directed that “the report must be on the table of the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development on Monday, the 22nd of November, 2021.”


The Super Eagles have qualified for the playoff phase of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in Africa but the performance of the team left a lot to be desired with many Nigerian calling for team gaffer, Gernot Rohr to be shown the exit door.

In three home matches, the Super Eagles won just one, drawing another and  incredibly lost to Central Africa Republic, one of the lowest ranked teams in the world.

Against Cape Verde in the last match, it was a laborious and uninspiring team that was on parade.


The statement from the ministry also pointed out that “any  plan to hire another coach must start with first briefing the Minister /Federal Government about the  Rohr’s issue and bringing a closure to it to avoid embarrassing Nigeria.

Advertisement


“Secondly. The decision to hire any body as national coach must be discussed and undergo review.


“The Super Eagles is Nigeria’s property not a premier club,” the statement concluded.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

AFCON

Libya sacks coach ahead of AFCON qualifying back-to-back matches with Nigeria

Published

on

Milutin Sredojević

The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has sacked its Serbian coach, Milutin Sredojević who is popularly known as Micho.

This is coming ahead of Libya’s back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations clashes with Nigeria next month.

Paradoxically, Sports Village Square gathered that the coach’s contract was only recently renewed for six months before the axe fell on the Serbian.

His sack was precipitated by the results obtained in their teo matches of the AFCON qualifiers.

Libya drew 1-1 with Rwanda at home and lost 2-1 away to Benin Republic despite beig a goal up at half time.

Advertisement

The Libyan side, Mediterranean Knights are due to play against the Nigeria Super Eagles in Uyo on 6 October while  the return leg holds on 14 October at the 11 July Stadium in Tripoli.

According to information Sports Village Square gathered from Tripoli, the Mediterranean Knights’ coach,  Micho led the Libyan national team to win nine matches since taking over in October of last year, he failed to build a strong team due to his poor choices.

 He also took a risk with the footballers chosen in the AFCON qualifiers, and the result was shocking to the Libyan sports audience. 

According to sources close to the Libyan Football Federation, there is a strong tendency to sign a national coach to lead the Libyan team during the remaining qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

AFCON

CAF president blasts Ghana, others over stadium ban

Published

on

CAF President Patrice Motsepe has lashed out at Ghana and some other African countries whose home grounds were recently banned from hosting CAF matches owing to inadequate facilities. He made the remarks in Nairobi, Kenya during a press conference,

After the MatchDay 2 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, CAF ruled Ghana’s Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi as being inadequate to host international matches. Being the only approved ground in the country, Ghana will now look towards either Cote d’Ivoire or Togo for their remaining home matches of the Afcon qualifiers.

Other African countries without approved home grounds are: Djibouti,  Chad,  Niger,  Eritrea,  Gabon,  Sudan,  Zimbabwe,  Madagascar,  São Tomé and Burundi.

Motsepe voiced his frustration over the recurring issue of nations being unable to host home games.

“Nothing frustrates me more than a national team or club side having to play home matches outside,” he stated.

Advertisement

He stressed the significance of playing in front of home fans, adding, “You can’t grow football if the national teams or club sides aren’t playing in front of their home fans.”

Motsepe reiterated CAF’s commitment to working with countries to ensure they have at least one suitable stadium to host international fixtures.

“Our conversations in every country are to make sure there is at least one stadium capable of hosting a CAF category C game,” he emphasized.

Continue Reading

AFCON

Present and Past as CAF Coaches Symposium unites Rohr, Peseiro and Eguavoen

Published

on

The on-going CAF AFCON Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Coaches Symposium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire has brought together, the last three coaches that handled the Nigeria national football team.

Gernot Rohr, Jose Peseiro and Austin Eguavoen are part of the the elite coaches currently gathered in Abidjan.

Gernot Rohr whose tenure of 5 years and 55 matches is the longest ever by any coach in Nigeria, is currently handling Nigeria’s Africa Cupof Nations and World Cup qualifying rivals, Benin Republic. He was succeeded in the interim by Austin Eguavoen who is currently having another interim stint.

Peseiro left his position after the Africa Cup of Nations

Continue Reading

Most Viewed