NIGERIA’S coach, Gernot Rohr, does not feel the ongoing 31st edition of the Africa Nations Cup in Gabon would have been a smooth ride for the Super Eagles if they were at the tournament.
Rohr is in Gabon as a television pundit because the Eagles fail to make it to the tournament and when asked how he would have felt if he were to be on the sidelines with the Eagles, the coach said:
‘Football is about reality and the reality is that we are not here.
My team develops with every match and learn so fast. If the Eagles had been here, I expect them to find it hard just like other favourites and improve game after game. The Africa Nations Cup is never easy for any African team especially ours where we have many of our players in Europe.
The expectation would have been high on us and we could have felt a little bit of pressure just like it is with some other big sides here’’
Rohr is impressed with the standard of play, saying “We have so far seen some good football with great team work and individual talents. Senegal have been superb and have lived up to expectations while giants like Algeria have not been very impressive”.
Rohr, however, noted that the condition on the pitch leaves much to be desired.
“If you are far from the pitch its easy to see how beautiful the playing surfaces are but in reality they are hard and make it difficult for football to flow freely,” he observed.
“The company contracted to do the work was changed at the last minute and the new people who were given the job did not have ample time since they were under pressure to conclude the work before the inspections”
“I have spoken to so many players and they are not happy with the condition of the pitch and you can clearly see many players have suffered injuries in the first round of matches,” he added.
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