CHAN Eagles Have Good Chances Of Making World Cup – Rohr

In this exclusive interview with Gernot Rohr in Marakkesh, Morocco, the Super Eagles technical adviser spoke to FRANCIS ACHI,  Senior Correspondent of PM EXPRESS covering the CHAN tournament in Morocco on the difficulties experienced by the CHAN team, the possibilities of beating Sudan , the injuries in the team, what the players and especially Ikechukwu Ezenwa should expect from the Sudanese attackers and other interesting aspects of the Super Eagles ahead of the Russia 2018 World Cup.

 

 

Having seen the Super Eagles in their past four games in the CHAN 2018  tournament and the team is in the semi – final. What do you make of the team?

We have good chances . We have a team that is playing better and better . The team started with some difficulties in the tournament because they missed the rhythm. No games in the league , but the team is becoming better and better. The only problem is that now we spent about two hours of a match against Angola , but Sudan only played for 90 minutes and they have one day more for recovery because they played the day before.
It is not easy physically, we have to be very strong and it is very difficult , also because it was a long journey of eight hours travelling with the bus by road from Tanger to Casablanca before getting to Marrakesh. So, it is never easy to recover when you have a long way to travel in a tournament. But, I think the players are fit , the players trained very well and we have chances to beat this team of Sudan.

When you look at the injuries in the Super Eagles with the duo of Sunday Faleye and Daniel Itodo out of the tournament. Nigerians are a bit worried with these injuries in the team. 
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Yeah..everybody is worried because of these injuries are not coming at a good moment before the start of the tournament, but at the semi – final . This is a tournament and you have 23 players . The other players can come in and play .
The new players that featured against Angola did very well. So, they still have the possibilities of playing again and bringing fresh ideas into the Game.
It is not going to be easy against Sudan because the team is closed to their A team. A lot of their players are also playing in their A national team, but we don’t have such privileges . We only have Ikechukwu Ezenwa, who saved the day for Nigeria against Angola.

What is your candid assessment of Ikechukwu Ezenwa? 

Yes. I knew that Ikechukwu is a very good goalkeeper in one on one situation . He also has great and fantastic reflexes on the line and it is not a surprise for me that he is doing well , but against Sudan , there would be more pressure because Sudan have big strikers , they have great wingers with dangerous crosses and I hope that he will perform excellently the way he did against Angola.

On a final note , have you seen any player In the CHAN Super Eagles apart from Ikechukwu Ezenwa making the Super Eagles team to Russia 2018 World Cup? 

It is too early to speak about the list of the Super Eagles , we give it till May.

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I am just asking if any player invite in this CHAN Eagles.

You know that the list will only come out in May. We have to look at all the Nigerian players . Some of them are really playing very well and we will continue to follow what are doing in the next weeks and months . Of course , the Super Eagles is a team with quality and very strong players , you can’t say this player I have to take, you can only say of the goalkeeper and I have him already have him in the A team.
For all other players in this Eagles , they have all the chances; but there is none we can say this one has to come . You know that we have quality football , good spirit in the team and that is the reason the team is progressing and playing the semi – final against Sudan.