Super Eagles: NFF Sacks Gernot Rohr, Appoints Augustine Eguavoen As Interim Manager

The Nigeria Football Federation has sacked Gernot Rohr as Super Eagles manager with immediate effect it announced on Sunday.

NFF Technical Director, Mr. Augustine Eguavoen, will take charge of the team in an interim capacity until the appointment of a substantive head coach the federation said in a statement.

Rohr’s sack, just weeks before the rescheduled AFCON, has been expected after months of speculation about his future following the Super Eagles’ poor showing in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

The Franco-German leaves as the longest-serving manager of the three-time African champions having been in the post for the past 64 months. He qualified Nigeria for next year’s AFCON and led them to the group stage of the 2018 World Cup and a third-place finish at the 2019 AFCON but leaves following widespread dissatisfaction over recent performances.

Eguavoen, a former Eagles captain, is no stranger to the role and this will be his third spell as the head coach of the three-time African champions.

He’ll be assisted by Salisu Yusuf (Chief Coach); Paul Aigbogun (Assistant Coach); Joseph Yobo (Assistant Coach); Dr Terry Eguaoje (Assistant Coach) and Aloysius Agu (Goalkeeper Trainer) the NFF said.

In addition, former national team captains Augustine ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu and Garba Lawal have been appointed to provide technical and ambassadorial support for the crew, the NFF added.

“The relationship between the Nigeria Football Federation and Mr Rohr has come to an end. We thank him for his services to the Super Eagles and Nigeria,” NFF secretary-general Mohammed Sanusi said.

“We also want to thank the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports for their collaboration and guidance all through.”

Eguavoen was coach of the Super Eagles when they finished in third place at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in 2006. He was on-field captain when the Super Eagles lifted the Africa Cup for the first time on away ground, in Tunisia 27 years ago.

He will now take charge of the team as it begins preparations for the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations taking place in Cameroon from 9 January – 6 February 2022, and until the appointment of a substantive Head Coach.