Eagles need best players to qualify for Russia 2018, says Rohr

For Nigeria to qualify for the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup, all the Super Eagles players must be at their best possible form, the team’s technical adviser, Gernot Rohr, has reiterated.

Nigeria is in the same group with Africa’s number one team, Algeria, as well as Cameroun and Zambia and only one team will qualify for the World Cup from the pool.

Speaking during his visit to the secretariat of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) yesterday, where he met with the General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi and the NFF Management, Rohr said qualifying for Russia 2018 was possible only if everybody concerned were on the same page.

“We will need all our best players to be at their very best. We had a good list for the Tanzania match but a couple of players were injured and we will like to look at those ones as well. The focus is to strengthen the spine of the team and ensure they can beat any team. The confidence has not been there because the team failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations, but when results start to come, the confidence will return.”

Rohr, who coached the national teams of Gabon, Burkina Faso and Niger, and also had a stint with Tunisian club, Etoile du Sahel, said he was used to working conditions on the African continent and was only committed to returning Nigeria back to the top of the world football ladder.

“I have been well –received by my assistant, (Salisu) Yusuf, as well as Imama (Amapakabo) and Alloy (Agu), and also by the backroom staff. To be received with so much warmth by the NFF management means we are all on the same page and we can work together and live as a family.

“I have a very good feeling about this job and the people I have to work with. I am also happy that the first week went very well because the players were able to quickly imbibe our philosophy. We need to have solidarity all round.