SUPER Eagles head coach Gernot has hinted that some of the players who featured in the friendly against Mexico on Sunday will be in the squad for the World Cup qualifiers.
A wholly home-based Super Eagles team lost 4-0 to Mexico in Los Angeles on Sunday morning but Rohr took positives from the heavy defeat to the CONCACAF Gold Cup defending champions.
“I saw a wonderful game and we are happy to see football games with the fans,” Rohr said during his post-match press conference.
“It was such a long time we had to play in empty stadiums and now it has come back to normal football, normal situation.”
Rohr alluded the defeat to Mexico’s experience and higher ranking in world football compared to his team, most of whom were playing at that level for the first time. Still, the coach feels some of the players deserve a shot in the full Super Eagles squad even with Europe-based stars available.
“Mexico is No.11 in the world and they showed why,” the German added.
“Our young team is the best professional players from Nigeria playing at home. They tried to so well, they learnt a lot and I saw some interesting players who could be part of the next World Cup qualifiers in September.
“We learnt a lot and that’s why we are happy to see this match in these conditions like a normal football game.”
Rohr insisted that the major aim of his team is to earn a ticket to the Qatar 2022 World Cup as the qualifying campaign takes off in September.
”In September we will have the World Cup qualifiers and we will start at home against Liberia on the third in Lagos and few days later we will go to Cape Verde for the second game,” he explained.
“We have a group of four teams and we have to finish first in this group and then progress to the play-off where we will play against any team from the other nine groups.
“It is a long way to the World Cup but today’s match has given me the idea of some of the local players can be part of some of these big games.
“We want to qualify for the World Cup like the last time and then meet teams like Mexico who showed how good they are with their movement, speed, fitness and technique. So it was a good lesson for our local players today and I think that Mexico are one of the favourites for the CONCACAF Gold Cup (which starts on Saturday).”
