Pitch Awards organisers blame Rohr for Eagles’ poor performance in AFCON 2021

The organisers of the Nigeria Pitch Awards, have said that the former Super Eagles handler, Genort Rohr, was partly responsible for the early ouster of the Super Eagles from the 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroun.

The President of Matchmakers Consult International Limited, organisers of the awards, Shina Phillips, made the assertion in an interview with our correspondent, on Wednesday.

Our correspondent reports that the Pitch Awards are presented to Nigerian former and present sports people, administrators and journalists, in recognition of their positive contributions to sports in Nigeria.

Phillips, while reacting to the early ouster of the Super Eagles at the ongoing African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2021, in Cameroun, said that the setback in the tournament would, however, not affect the 8th edition of the Pitch Awards.

He noted that although the ouster of the Super Eagles in AFCON by the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia was painful, it was not an unusual circumstance.

“The result in the AFCON though painful, was not unexpected. It is not that I am not patriotic enough not to believe in the team, there are other underlining factors.”

“If we look at it critically, the former Head Coach, Rohr failed to give Nigeria a formidable team and I like the fact that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) took a bold step to sack him before the AFCON.”

“When there is a major tournament, like AFCON, we should know that the best team will win because it is a long term plan, but I can’t say that about Nigeria.”

“The interim coach, Austin Eguavoen was given a short time to assemble the team to the AFCON, and we should note that we have not had a first eleven team for a long time,” he said.

Phillips noted that the Nigerian players to the AFCON 2021 performed individually and not on the team’s strength which made the team to lack technical depth.

“The players that played in AFCON did put in their individual efforts, but not as a solid team because it is the responsibility of the technical adviser to do that.”

“The Technical Adviser’s job is to produce a team out of the talents and also read the opponent’s game to ensure that he had a plan A and B.”

“To win AFCON, we need something extra. Before the knockout match against the Tunisians, I already had reservations that there might be a burn out from the players.”

“The Tunisians managed our team so well, they could defeat us. Nigeria truly needs a sound Technical Adviser who will have enough time to build and not an overnight team for a major tournament,” he said