The Nigeria Football Federation has thrown its weight behind Manager of the Super Eagles, Gernot Rohr, over his decision to alter the team’s leadership last week. Rohr stunned the players in London last week when he announced that Ogenyi Onazi would lead the team against Senegal with Elderson Echiejile as his assistant. This was done in the presence of Ahmed Musa, an assistant to Mikel Obi.
The Leicester player was in camp for the friendly encounter against Senegal. The Manager also stated that Mikel remained the substantive skipper. In a reaction, the NFF’s Technical Director, Bitrus Bewarang, said the decision to pick who captains the Super Eagles in the Nations Cup and World Cup preparations and qualifica-tions rested with Rohr.
He said he could explain why Onazi was picked to lead the team in place of Musa who is the assistant captain, every coach had his preference. Bewarang said whoever captains the team was irrelevant as far as the goal of getting results was achieved. “It does not matter who leads the squad as far as there is no rancour or disunity in the team.
The most important thing is to get results,” he stated. It was learnt that the Super Eagles were already divided over this development as some of them viewed what happened to Musa was an embarrassment to the player.
Our correspondent also learnt that Musa requested to relinquish the band when he got wind of the impending changes Rohr was planning to make before the friendly. Musa did the same when he was named the captain after the exit of Vincent Enyeama who voluntarily retired from the national team.
He remained the captain until Coach Samson Siasia gave the band to Mikel who is the most senior player after Enyeama dumped the Eagles. Rohr, it was also scooped, was considering giving the substantive band to the most consistent, hardworking and reliable player in his quest for the Nations and World Cup tickets.
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