Former coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has reacted to the 0-4 loss the team suffered in their recent friendly game against Portugal.

Rohr was sacked after helping Nigeria seal a spot in the final rounds of the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers playoff. In his absence the team failed to make it to the World Cup losing on away goal rule to Ghana.

The coach was however in Qatar where he worked as a television pundit on matches involving African teams, owing to his experience and knowledge of the teams.

He however did take out time to watch his former team before the world cup in a friendly game against Portugal. The Jose Peseiro led team were no match for their Portuguese counterparts.

As a former coach of the team, Rohr expressed his unhappiness about the result particularly the way the team played saying the players looked unrecognizable from the players he worked with a little over a year ago. He also said in his five year stay at no time he was beaten 4-0.

“I watched the game against Portugal in Lisbon. I didn’t recognise my players at all. I wasn’t happy with how they played and the result. I never lost a match 4-0 to any team, during my five years as coach”, he was quoted as saying by Osasu Obayiuwana.

Coaches are mostly hired and fired based on results and that is the reason why one of the assistants of the coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro has been shown the exit door.

Relegated Nigeria Professional Football League side Kano Pillars yesterday announced Evans Ogenyi as the new coach of the team replacing Salisu Yusuf, who is one of the assistants of Peseiro.

Yusuf who also doubles as the coach of the Nigeria home based team and the U23 was the one at the helm when the team were relegated last season. He was brought in to help them become title contenders but it ended the other way round.

His continual stay with the senior national team as second assistant has also come under public scrutiny owing to the fact that he has three national team jobs , few years after he was caught on tape collecting cash from reporters who posed as football agents, representing two players in his home base team.

So far he has only succeeded with the U23 as the home based team failed to get past Ghana hence missed out on a spot in the CHAN championship. The U23s are through to the next round of qualifiers for the AFCON but allegations of bribe taking is rocking the team.

The Ladan Bosso led Nigeria U20 team got their preparation for the Africa U20 Cup of Nations underway with a resounding 5-0 win over Paul E Sports Academy at their training camp in Abuja.

Known as the Flying Eagles, the Nigerian team made their intention of tearing their opponent apart with Jonas Emmanuel opening scoring in the 10th minute, when he finished off a brilliant cross from the left.

Three minutes later, he was denied a brace by the outstretched leg of Gida Aida who was in goal for Paul E Sports. Aida was however beaten  in the 37th minute by a ferocious strike from Ekpeyong Emmanuel who showed good ball control before roofing the ball to take scores to 2-0.

Twenty minutes into the second half Obiakor Ifesinachi benefited from a well placed pass from Adam Abdulrahman to put the WAFU B champions three goals up. Three later became four when Ifesinachi grabbed his brace six minutes later.

Ifesinachi who was introduced after the break was quick to latch on to a cross field pass before striking to the bottom corner. Gbadamosi Umar rounded up scoring with ten minutes left to play in the game with Abdulrahman claiming his second assist of the game.

Below is the Flying Eagles starting XI.

Nathaniel Nwosu
Dominion Ohaka
Sunday Haruna
Godwin Fredrick
Benjamin Frederick
Boluwaji Sholumade
Justin Emmanuel
Aminu Mohammed
Jonas Emmanuel
Yahaya Ibrahim
Ekpeyong Emmanuel

Subs:
Chijioke Aniagboso
Njoku Augustine
Hassan Shuaibu
Anas Hassan
Onuche Ogbule
Abdulrahman Adam
Seriki Haruna
Edwin John
Klingshak Longbak
Albert Hilary
Ayuma Israel

The Nigeria U23 team recently secured passage to the last round of the qualifiers for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers by edging out Tanzania on a 3-1 aggregate score after winning the second leg 2-0 in Ibadan.

Ahead of the second leg game, coach of the Nigerian team Salisu Yusuf added more players to the squad, one of which is Arsenal midfielder Tim Akinola who is presently on loan to English fifth tier side Chesterfield.

Akinola spent three days in the camp of the team but departed on the eve of the game when he was told he won’t be a part of the squad for the game. He returned back to his base in England while the rest of his teammates battled to a 2-0 win.

His decision to leave the camp came in the midst of reports that backroom staff and coaches of the team are engaged in collecting bribes to pick players in the squad and even players who get to make it to the starting lineup.

” Tim will speak up soon. He would have opened up  a lot earlier but some things are best said at some certain times and for now the time isn’t ideal but trust me he will tell you guys all that happened that led to his axing from the team. Was he asked to pay bribes? Wait for it”, his representatives told Owngoalnigeria.com.

As the contract of the current coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro enters into it’s final six months, there has been talks about if he is worth an extension or not owing to recent run of results.

Peseiro has only won two out of the nine games he has handled the team and it came against Sierra Leone and Sao Tome and Principe both in the AFCON qualifiers. The only two games he has handled the team in competive games so far.

Reacting to the performance of the Saudi Arabia team after their 1-0 win over Argentina, the wife of former Super Eagles top striker Odion Ighalo urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to recruit the coach of the team Herve Renard saying he is a master tactician.

” He is a matter tactician. We need him”, Adesuwa Sonia Ighalo posted on her Instagram story after the 2-1 win recorded by Saudi Arabia against Argentina at the ongoing 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Her comment is coming at a time when it appears the Portuguese coach of the Nigerian team and the NFF appear to be heading for a divorce, as he hasn’t been paid for six months plus his deal has six months to go and there has been no talks over an extension.

Although Renard is no stranger to African football as he has coached Morocco and Zambia in the past. He might however be out of the budget of the NFF as he currently earns around $120,000 a month as coach of Saudi Arabia. $50,000 more than what Peseiro who hasn’t been paid for six months earns at that moment.

The future of the current coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro is up in the air with six months left to go on the one year deal he signed early this year.

Peseiro was due an extension after the postponement of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations to 2024 but talks have gone cold after preliminary exchange of ideas between the parties involved.

He is now free to look at other options if they come up especially as he hasn’t been paid since taking over as coach as first reported by Owngoalnigeria.com. The pay situation is also part of why he is mulling over quitting his role as coach.

Promised were made by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that the minister for youths and sports, who accepted to pay the wages of the coach has already forwarded his case but that was three weeks ago and nothing has happened since then.

We also gathered that the coach hasn’t met with the new president of the NFF Ibrahim Musa Gusau since he was elected. The president wasn’t at the game played against Portugal in Lisbon , they were expected to meet there.

The Nigerian national team made global headlines by failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. The disappointment in the African country was so great that after the decisive match, numerous supporters of the “Super Eagles” stormed the pitch and gave free rein to their anger. That was a few months ago. The Nigerians are slowly turning their gaze towards the 2026 World Cup, but a lot needs to happen around the national team in order to increase its chances of participating.

The “Super Eagles” have been regular guests at World Cups in the recent past and have often impressed with attractive football. World Cups are also particularly popular for sports betting. Bookmakers offer special world cup bets and lucrative odds. There is still a great deal of disappointment in the African country with 200 million inhabitants. But this is slowly giving way to new hope. The joy of football is too great.

Background on the Nigerian National Team

The national team of Nigeria is managed by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF). The team has already won the Africa Cup three times – most recently in 2013. The “Super Eagles” celebrated their greatest success in April 1994. There, the Nigerian national team finished fifth in the FIFA world rankings. Nigeria thus holds the record for the highest position in the FIFA World Ranking ever achieved by an African football team.

However, the national team of Nigeria has also been able to celebrate notable successes in the recent past. The Super Eagles have qualified for six of the last eight FIFA World Cups. Only the 2006 World Cup in Germany and the current World Cup 2022 in Qatar were not qualified for.

Accordingly, Nigeria is considered one of the leading nations in African football. The disappointment of failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup was all the greater, and the team will now have to wait four long years to take part in the world’s biggest football tournament again.

The consequences of missing the 2022 World Cup: a sporting and financial disaster  

In addition to the sporting defeat, the financial damage of missing the 2022 World Cup is also a great disappointment. The association will lose several million US dollars as a result of not qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar. Not only will supplier deals and bonuses be lost, but the national economy will also suffer.

In the past, major sporting events such as a World Cup have always successfully boosted the economy of the African country. In the past, Nigeria was almost flooded with advertising campaigns. By not participating in the World Cup, the country naturally loses the global attention it had hoped for. As a result, sponsors, investors and financiers are also lost.

Missing a World Cup also affects smaller companies. For example, national and international jersey sales will suffer from the non-qualification. While the jersey of the Nigerian national team at the 2018 World Cup in Russia was still one of the most popular jerseys of the tournament, there will not even be a Nigerian World Cup jersey at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Accordingly, it is clear that the “Super Eagles” will provide a huge boost to the national economy by participating in a World Cup. Missing out will cause huge financial damage to the country on the Gulf of Guinea. No wonder some of the players describe the failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as the biggest low point in their own careers.

Reasons for Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar

The surprising dismissal of former national coach Gernot Rohr in December 2021 is regarded as a major turning point for the worse. At the time of publication, experts and fans could not believe their eyes. So sudden and unexpected was the news that the Nigerian Football Federation had parted ways with Rohr.

The separation was particularly unexpected because the 68-year-old football coach had achieved all of his goals at the time. In addition to qualifying for the Africa Cup, the team had also qualified for the finals of the World Cup. Nevertheless, he was sacked. The reason for this was the way of playing football, which was successful in terms of results, but no longer suited the demands of the association. The Nigerian national team was said to have shown too little dominance, especially against weaker opponents. Behind the scenes, however, the bad relationship between the former national coach Gernot Rohr and the federation’s president Amaju Pinnick is said to be the most likely reason for the premature separation.

Since then, the Nigerian national team has lost the plot in the World Cup qualifiers. Among other things, the team lost at home to the Central African Republic and had to settle for a draw against Cape Verde. In the end, as is well known, it was not enough for participation in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

A look into the future: World Cup 2026 as a big goal!

After the great disappointment, the football nation of Nigeria is now looking towards the 2026 World Cup with hope. The country longs for sporting success. With over 500 different tribes, Nigeria unites the most diverse traditions, people and cultures. Football is seen by many as the only activity that can break through all the country’s fault lines. No matter what culture or language, at matches of the “Super Eagles” the country unites behind their national team. Accordingly, a strong Nigerian national team is important for the African country.

For success in the future, however, some things have tochange. Especially in the association, certain personnel should be reconsidered and, if necessary, replaced. Too often, ego and pride dominate over professional competence. It is a matter of hiring the best possible coach, renovating the national stadiums and, above all, paying coaches and players on time. This is the only way to revive serious professional football in Nigeria.

There is enough talent in the team itself. A large part of the squad is young and plays in the highest European leagues. Whether it is Victor Osimhen, defensive strategist Wilfried Ndidi or defender Calvin Bassey – the Nigerian national team is stocked with top international players. For long-term success, however, a strategy is necessary. This requires a united federation, qualified coaches and motivated nationalplayers who enjoy playing for their country. Accordingly, it is time to usher in a new generation in Nigerian football.

Several leaders from the golden era have tried their luck for years without success. The result has been a host of scandals and mismanagement of funds and sporting talent. If the right lessons are learned from the disappointing past, qualification for the upcoming 2026 World Cup in North and Central America is quite possible.

The first upset of the ongoing 2022 World Cup in Qatar has been recorded with Argentina losing 1-2 to the tournament’s underdog Saudi Arabia in their opening group game.

Argentina took the lead via the spot through Lionel Messi but the gulf nation struck twice in the second half to goals from Saleh Alshehri and  Salem Aldawsari in the 48th and 53rd minute respectively.

Saudi Arabia’s win was piloted by Herve Renard who was at a time linked with the senior national team of Nigeria when Sunday Oliseh was about to be sacked as coach of the team in 2016. As a matter of fact it was the fact that he was contacted that made Oliseh to quit his role.

Oliseh in an interview with Complete Sports said the agent of the coach who has once again put himself in the global spotlight with the win over Argentina told him, he was contacted by the NFF but turned down the chance to take the job citing three reasons.

“They had their motives and what I did was in the best interest of the country,” Oliseh said.

“While I was coach of the team they tried to hire Renard who turned them down citing three major reasons.”

His personal assistant, Babangida went a step further by explaining how they knew.

“They were talking with Renard about him replacing Oliseh and it was his agent who told us,” he said.

“The agent wondered what is wrong with the NFF, but he assured him Renard won’t be coming to Nigeria.”

Can Nigeria’s defeat to Costa Rica be seen as a reflection of their poor run of form? Find out here.

The African Cup of Nations, more commonly referred to as AFCON, is the primary men’s football tournament in Africa. It has been held every two years since its inception in 1957, with the tournament sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football.

With the 2022 Qatar World Cup just weeks away, national teams across the globe are readying themselves to take part in football’s most prestigious event. There are some notable absences, however, Italy are missing out on their second consecutive tournament, while Nigeria also failed to qualify. Nigeria, who also didn’t perform particularly well in AFCON, played Costa Rica in a friendly last month. Let’s look at how this game can be seen as a reflection of AFCON and Nigeria’s performance overall.

Costa Rica vs Nigeria

Costa Rica hosted Nigeria at home in San Jose on 10 November for an international friendly match. After a tetchy opening few minutes, Al-Wehda centre back Oscar Duarte opened the scoring with a seventh minute goal. The goal came from a set piece where forward Joel Campbell floated a beautiful ball into the box, leaving Duarte to toe poke it beyond the reach of Nigerian keeper Kayode Iyanu Bankole.

Duarte was replaced by defender Kendall Watson at the half time interval, with Watson going on to net Costa Rica’s second of the game. Campbell again showed his skills to provide the assist, slipping past the Nigerian defence to dig out a cross that Watson met with his head to double Costa Rica’s lead.

The Nigerian keeper was hooked shortly after and replaced with Nathanial Nwosu. While they didn’t concede any more goals, they didn’t create much of anything either, and Costa Rica saw out the game with ease to secure a well-deserved victory.

In fairness to Nigeria, they fielded a young side. However, the defeat came after a string of disappointing results that have left fans concerned about the direction of the team. The result comes as Nigeria’s sixth game on the bounce without a victory. They’ve lost to Algeria, Mexico, and Ecuador, and drew twice with Ghana which resulted in them missing a world cup spot.

Their form leaves much to be desired, with the recent defeat emblematic of their poor performances, particularly at AFCON.

Nigeria At AFCON

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AFCON is the biggest sporting event in Africa, with millions watching on the continent and across the globe. National teams strive to do their very best, with fans desperate to see their country’s side lift the title.

Nigeria got off to a flying start in the group, beating tournament favourite Egypt 1 – 0, Sudan 3 -1, and Guinea-Bissau 2 – 0 to top their group with an unblemished record and head into the knockout stages.

Nigeria vs Tunisia

Nigeria drew Ghana in the first game of the knockout stages. Pundits predicted this would prove to be an easy task for the group D winners, Tunisia had edged into the knockout stages despite coming third in their group. To tip the scales even more in Nigeria’s favour, Tunisia were a side crippled by injury and had seven key players missing.

Tunisia defended resolutely for the opening half before captain Youssef Msakni drilled a low shot into the net just two minutes into the second half. Nigeria’s evening only got worse, with Alex Iobi shown a red card in the 66th minute, just seven minutes after coming on as a substitute.

Tunisia’s grit and tenacity proved too much for Nigeria to overcome. The game finished with Tunisia one goal up and put an unexpected stop to Nigeria’s trophy dreams.

World Cup Qualification

Nigeria’s woes continued. They failed to qualify for the upcoming world cup after being held to a 1 – 1 draw at home to Ghana. The Jollof derby was a tense affair and ended in significant fan violence and disorder as the Nigeria supporters reacted to their team’s sub-par performance.

Conclusion

The defeat to Costa Rica can be seen as a reflection of Nigeria’s run of form, they capitulated after a positive start at AFON and made a dismal attempt at world cup qualification. They have a friendly against Portugal coming up, which could prove perilous given Nigeria’s fragile state.