Former Super Eagles’ captain and chief coach, Christian Chukwu, has urged Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, to be up and doing, as he prepares to qualify Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, by arranging series of top grade matches to prepare the team.
According to the skipper of the 1980 Nations’ Cup victorious Green Eagles, the proposed friendly matches would put the Super Eagles in great shape towards picking the group B sole World Cup ticket, without dropping a point in the series.
Following Nigeria’s failure to feature in the on-going Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon, Chukwu said the friendly matches would help the coach to identify more players, who are not originally in his World Cup programme.
Nigeria is topping Group B of the African qualifiers, with six points, after recording a 2-1 away win over Zambia and another 3-1 home victory against Algeria at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The West African team now has a date against Cameroon in August this year in continuation of the World Cup qualifying series. Chukwu said Cameroon and Algeria, both in Nigeria’s World Cup group, had received some preparations, following their participation in the on-going Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Gabon, adding that they must have learnt some good lessons that may support their bid for the World Cup ticket.
Although, the Algerian camp is already in deep crisis, following the sudden resignation of their coach, after a disappointing flop in the Nations’ Cup, the Indomitable Lions are, however, still roaring, as their ambition to forge ahead at the tournament was yet to be dented.
Chukwu said grade A friendly matches would put the Nigerian team in good stead ahead of the subsequent qualifying games that may keep Eagles’ on top of the group, without dropping a point.
“I am excited that Rohr is in Gabon and as a technical man, nobody should tell him what to do to succeed on the job. He needs to gather enough information on Cameroon, Nigeria’s next opponent in the qualifiers and on how to keep his team together throughout the mission, without conceding any defeat.
Rohr has all the chances to equip himself with facts and figures on tactical hints that may help him after the event,” Chukwu told The Point. Cameroon played 1-1 with Burkina Faso, beat Guinea Bissau 2-1 in their second game, played a barren draw with Gabon, to cruise into the quarter finals of the Gabon 2017 tournament, even as Algeria drew 2-2 with Zimbabwe in her opening game, lost 1-2 to Tunisia, before crashing out with 2-2 draw against Senegal.
“Having witnessed all these matches in Gabon, we are expecting Rohr to come up with a technical report that will make his team formidable in the qualifiers. He must have seen how the Lions played and their players. I think it is a great idea that Eagles coach was in Gabon to see things for himself,” he said.
