Former Nigeria international, Friday Ekpo believes that Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr’s inability to pick and nurture players in the Nigerian league for the national team is reflecting on the country’s squad at the on-going African Nations Cup in Egypt.
According to Ekpo, Rohr’s job as the coach of Nigeria’s senior national team is to develop the country’s football, using the domestic players as the foundation to build a credible team. But he says that Rohr, who comes into the country two weeks to major championships and invite only foreign-based players for matches, is only selecting players but doesn’t focus on his major role of discovering good domestic players and giving them the right tactical training to be world beaters.
The former Shell of Gabon midfielder wondered how Nigeria would survive if the home grown players were not tutored and exposed to international championships from time to time.
Reflecting on his days as a footballer, Ekpo noted that former Super eagles’ coach, Clemens Westerhof gave so many home-based players the chance to play in the national team, adding that the foreign-based players only came to fight for shirts without thinking that the coach would give them automatic place in the team. Read more