Rohr talks too much, must stop discriminating against NPFL players — Sports minister

SPORTS minister Sunday Dare has expressed his dissatisfaction with Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr’s attitude towards home-based players.

Dare paid a visit to the team in Abuja where they are preparing for the friendly against Mexico billed for Los Angeles, California on 3 July.

The minister was apparently surprised and unhappy that Rohr was not present with the wholly home-based Super Eagles team and accused the German of deliberately discriminating against the local players.

The team will be led to the United States of America for the friendly by Nigeria Football Federation technical director and former Super Eagles captain and head coach Austin Eguavoen instead of Rohr.

Dare is obviously against the arrangement, accusing Rohr of looking down on the home-based players.

“Gernot Rohr was employed by Nigerians, therefore he should not discriminate against those he wants to coach,” Dare told reporters after the visit to the team on Tuesday.

“Both home-based and foreign-based players exhibit great talents and they all must be respected and treated well.

“NFF must call him to order and ensure he abides by the contract he signed.”

Although Rohr has invited many Nigeria Professional Football League players to the squad in the course of his four-year stay as Super Eagles coach, the general feeling is that he relies too much on players who feature for Europe-based clubs.

The counter argument is that Rohr’s duty is to use Nigeria’s best players, the majority of whom are based in Europe, to achieve his objectives.

However, Dare insisted that the 68-year-old has not done right by the home-based players, and advised him to ‘shut up’.

“Rohr’s attitude towards home-based players is unacceptable, it’s negative to our football development,” the minister emphasised.

“I call on the NFF to hold him by the content, by the letter of his contract. But beyond that he needs to shut up and do the work for which he was hired to do. He talks too much.”

Although he was not present when Dare visited, Rohr has often been pictured observing the home-based Super Eagles training since they started last week in Abuja.