Garba Lawal has revealed that Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr turned down advice from the Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation, Austin Eguavoen to watch the NPFL in order to discover new talents that can fit into the Super Eagles.
Lawal, who is a member of the NFF Technical Department disclosed this to brila.net while reacting to reports that some European clubs could stop players from honoring upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Striker Moses Simon has already pulled out of Nigeria’s squad to face Benin Republic and Lesotho and there are concerns that more players may pull out of the games in the coming days, due to the coronavirus traveling restrictions.
Lawal says, Eguavoen told the Franco-German coach to watch the NPFL in order to identify players that can help the team when such situation arises.
“This is the advice that Technical Director of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Austin Eguavoen always gives to Rohr (Gernot), that he should go around, watch our league so he can have home based players, but it seems the White man is not ready to do that.”
“I’m also thinking, what if the foreign (based) players refused to arrive because of the COVID-19 situation and their Club’s refuse to allow them leave, it is going to be a problem for the Nigeria Football Federation and for the National team because the game is just next week and we don’t have a plan B, what happens if the players don’t assemble. What do we do then?”
“Eguavoen was insisting on Rohr to go around, to watch our league and if he has been doing so this would have been an easy thing; he would have penciled down names of players to fill in any void. I pray their clubs will allow them come play otherwise this will be a big problem for us.”
“It’s a trick situation, very difficult. That’s why it is good as a Coach to have your plan B. If he had our local players assemble for long this wouldn’t have been a problem.
“He’s been in Nigeria for over a month. He would have gone round, see those playing in the continent and in the league he would pick from there.
” But it seems he’s not ready to do that; Mr. Austin Eguavoen is busy telling him to go watch our league and it seems the White man is not ready to do that. Well in this situation what are we going to do?, ” he told brila.net.
