Gernot Rohr plans new team for Russia 2018 World Cup

Nigeria national football team players pose prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying football match. PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP

Algeria sacks coach

Super Eagles’ Technical Manager, Gernot Rohr has revealed his plans to build a formidable team before the Russia 2018 World Cup.

The coach believes some of the current players in the Super Eagles are not the materials he would rely on for a successful campaign in the World Cup finals in Russia, adding that he has the ambition of surpassing Nigeria’s previous performance in the event.

Although the 64-year-old Franco-German was delighted at the Eagles’ qualification for the global showpiece, he said the team needed a major surgery before the FIFA World Cup finals.

“Players in the mould of Zinedine Zidane and Thiery Henry, who once played under me, are the calibre of stars I would want in the Super Eagles to Exe.cute the World Cup finals in Russia,” Rohr said.

Insisting that he has not yet assembled his choice World Cup team, Rohr was emphatic that he would parade his best players in the group final game against Algeria in Constantine on November 6.

Remarkably, Nigeria is making her sixth FIFA World Cup appearance since its debut in USA ‘94. The Eagles were at France ‘98, Japan/Korea 2002, South Africa 2010 and Brrazil 2014.

Sources close to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said the German is expected to disclose to the federation his World Cup programme before he travels to Europe. These will include plans for grade A friendlies and training tours to prepare the players for the Russia 2018 World Cup campaign.

Meanwhile, Algeria has parted ways with their manager, Lucas Alcaraz following the team’s elimination from the race to Russia.

Superdeporte.es reports that the coach, who has a win record of one in four games since taking over from George Leekens when the Belgian resigned in February, has already returned to Spain.

Algeria are out of the race to qualify for the World Cup after picking up just one point in five games, in a group where they were viewed as favourite to qualify when the draws were made. They lost 0-2 to Cameroon at the weekend.

It has been a disastrous campaign for them as Alcaraz only took charge of the team in April following the resignation of Leekens in February before their reverse tie against Nigeria.

They are now searching for their fifth coach in just over a year since the start of the qualifiers for the World Cup 2018, where they are rooted to the bottom of group B.