Players wanted to quit Super Eagles after NFF sacked me – Rohr
Former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has revealed that some players of the team have threatened to quit because of his sack.
Rohr was relieved of his duties as the Super Eagles coach on December 10, less than one month to the kick-off of the Africa Cup of Nations.
He spent over five years in that role following his appointment in August 2016.
In an interview with ESPN, the 68-year-old coach said his contract had been broken following the termination of his deal and was waiting not only for his unpaid salaries but also for his salaries until the end of the contract.
“I spoke with some players and some of them told me they don’t want to continue. But I said to them, “You have to continue. Now you have Nigerian coaches and you have to do well for your fatherland.”
“To say goodbye to the players has been the most difficult part. Most of them called me already. We were family and we had to leave each other. And it’s not so easy.
“So, I think that Austin Eguavoen has only to continue in the same spirit to be successful and the AFCON title will be in Nigeria.”
The former Gabon coach added that the NFF had wanted to sack him a year ago when Eguavoen was appointed as the Technical Director of the federation.
“I think they already had this prepared. They brought the new coach (Eguavoen) one year ago, so he could have a look. He would ask for the technical reports because he was Technical Director and Paul Aigbogun, his assistant, was doing for me the work of scouting the opponents.
“But I wish them all the best because I want my players to succeed, to win the AFCON. I want Nigeria to go to the World Cup, and I’m sure that they will.”
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