Afirca Press-Nigeria:
Before Gernot Rohr was appointed head coach of Nigeria, the team were at a low ebb, having failed to qualify for either the 2015 or 2017 CAF Africa Cup of Nations.
Indeed, many were questioning their ability to make it to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, especially after they were drawn in an extremely tough group alongside Algeria, Zambia and Cameroon.
Despite these difficulties, Rohr rejuvenated the squad by calling up top European-based players such as Kelechi Iheanacho, Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi. These talented youngsters helped the Super Eagles reach the World Cup unbeaten and to impress at Russia 2018, where they only missed out on the knockout phase after narrowly losing their final group game to Argentina.
In conversation with FIFA.com, Rohr spoke about his coaching career in Africa, his ambitions to reach Qatar 2022 with Nigeria, and his desire to lead the Super Eagles to the quarter-finals for the first time.
FIFA.com: You’re one of the few German coaches to have worked and succeeded in Africa. Why is that?
Gernot Rohr: I always try to work in an effective and respectful manner, particularly adapting to the African mentality.
You’ve coached in five different African countries, namely: Tunisia, Gabon, Niger, Burkina Faso and now Nigeria. What are the unique characteristics of each country?
I started my African journey in Tunisia at Etoile du Sahel. This was my first experience in Africa before switching to national teams. In Tunisia, I witnessed first-hand the high standard of organisation and sports facilities, given that the club has won the African Champions League. It was a good experience for me. After that, I had my first taste of coaching a national team with Gabon where I learned a lot and had wonderful memories. We developed so much in that period, thanks to the former Minister of Youth and Sports, who made our task easier because he knew football well. We reached the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012, when we made the knockout stage before losing to Mali in a penalty shootout.
You were then appointed head coach of Niger?
In Niger, they wanted to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations, and we were able to do just that after we beat Guinea. We put in good performances at the 2013 finals in South Africa, a very hot country where we saw temperatures hit 47 degrees. Despite playing on very hard pitches, the players showed great determination and solidarity. I have fond memories of my time in Niger. As for Burkina Faso, we went through a difficult time in 2015 when politics took a heavy toll on sports, so I decided to leave after just one year.
