Rohr signs two-year deal to coach Super Eagles

For the first time in almost six months, the Super Eagles of Nigeria now has a substantive coach, as German tactician Gernot Rohr has signed a two-year deal to become technical adviser of the team.

The Nigeria Football federation (NFF) announced the deal on its Twitter account on Tuesday, two days after its technical and development committee recommended the former Burkina Faso coach.

BREAKING: Mr. Gernot Rohr signs two-year contract to work with the NFF as Technical Adviser of the Super Eagles.

— The NFF (@thenff) August 9, 2016

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Sunday Oliseh, the previous coach, who was unveiled on July 15, 2015, resigned on February 26, citing numerous acts of contract violation.

“Due to contract violations, lack of support, unpaid wages, benefits to my players, assistant coaches and myself, I resign as Super Eagles chief coach,” he wrote on Twitter.

“I feel fortunate, blessed and eternally grateful for having had the honour to play, captain and coach this great nation of ours, Nigeria.”

TheCable first reported Rohr’s potential unveiling as the new technical adviser on August 5, as he had already accepted the terms and conditions of the job, which includes living Nigeria.

In recommending Rohr for the job, NFF’s technical and development committee described him as “calm, mature and possessing a good knowledge of the game in Africa”.

“The committee was impressed with Mr. Rohr’s profile and current activities for the German Football Federation (DFB), so we invited him to Nigeria for exhaustive deliberations,” Ahmed Yusuf Fresh, vice chairman of the committee, said.

“He was very positive, showed great interest in the job and is ready and willing to live in Nigeria. He is also willing to work with indigenous Nigerian coaches and with the committee, and believes the Super Eagles can qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which is very important to the NFF. He swayed the committee with his calmness, good knowledge of the African terrain, focus and maturity.”

Rohr’s appointment will now put to bed the embarrassment caused by NFF’s naming of Paul Le Guen as technical adviser, only for the Frenchman to turn down the offer.

His ultimate task will be to qualify the Eagles for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

In Europe, Rohr has coached the likes of Girondins Bordeaux; while in Africa, he has led Etoile du Sahel, Niger Republic and Burkina Faso.