Former Super Eagles midfield maestro, Austin Okocha said that Gernot Rohr is the right coach to lead the national team to more silverware as he lauded the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), for renewing his contract.
The German tactician has come under pressure from various quarters, including former national team players Among whom are Yakubu Ayegbeni and Daniel Amokachi for the team’s below-par performance in their 2022 African Cup of Nations qualifier matches against Sierra Leone.
Amokachi in an interview with Brila last week said that Rohr is not the right man for the job and should be sacked.
But Okocha shares a different sentiment from some of his national teammates, insisting that Rohr has delivered the goods since his appointment in 2016 and deserves to lead the Super Eagles.
He said, “For now, I will score him seven out of 10 because when he came in things were not steady and he has steadied the ship.”
“He inherited an abandoned team and so for now he is following his own direction, he has created his own team. But we all know football is about results, of course, if the results don’t go his way our people will criticize him, you know everybody in Nigeria is a coach. But if results go his way of course we will praise him. Even if you are the best coach if you don’t get results you will be under pressure.”
He applauded NFF for the decision to extend the contract of the gaffer.
“I’m in support of the contract extension because for every country to be successful you need continuity and you need direction.
“But if we keep hiring and firing we wouldn’t be able to build the team. So, I believe it’s a good step, it’s just for the results to improve,” he submitted.