What Next For Gernot Rohr After Winning Algeria

Nations Cup qualifying victory few days ago by against Algeria by the Nigerian Super Eagles, but there’s room for improvement.

The German tactician is slowly building his reputation as a manager whose long-term and midterm—securing a Russian 2018 ticket—aspirations are fuelled by short-term pragmatism. He has done well to always tackle matches on a game-by-game basis, and, to date, it’s an approach that’s working well.

When It comes to Nigeria, picking the right players is mostly difficult for any coach due to facts affecting some of the players both abroad and home, and with constant changing of players, shufflings from one international tournaments to another is a key factor that affect getting the right players.

When players get to know, understand each other in a game, they would definitely have a course to play, play and win for their home country.

Setting up a team to nullify their opposition’s threat is a tricky process, as a manager must be very careful to avoid negating his side’s strength. Rohr has always been aware of this and, to date, has set up his teams effectively.

Even without El Arabi Hillel Soudani, the top scorer during 2017 Nations Cup qualification, Ryad Boudebouz and Rachid Ghezzal, the Algerians have some of Africa’s best attacking options.

Naturally, Nigeria’s defence isn’t one of the continent’s best at the moment, but the manager’s job is to strike a balance between his side’s strengths and weaknesses.

Rohr’s decision to move Iheanacho to the centre-forward position to accommodate a more hardworking midfielder in Oghenekaro Etebo did help Ogenyi Onazi and Mikel to silence the Greens’ trio of Saphir Taider, Nabil Bentaleb and Carl Medjani, especially in the first half, but he was lucky to get away with playing Kenneth Omeruo at right-back.