Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has explained why it will be difficult if not impossible to call new players to the senior national team of Nigeria.
Rohr has come under pressure from the football loving populace of Nigeria who want the coach to hand a chance to players in the Nigeria Professional Football League ( NPFL) and also some players performing well notably Chidera Ejuke of Dutch Eredivisie side Heerenveen.
Ejuke made the team of the year in the Dutch Eredivisie alongside Heracles forward Cyriel Dessers but while Dessers was handed a maiden call up to the team, Ejuke wasn’t in the last list for the Sierra Leone game which was cancelled due to the coronavirus crisis.
Although Rohr hasn’t close the door on inviting new players, the coach however said it will be difficult to hand them a chance because most of the fixtures the team will play will be within a short period and they are all going to be crucial.
He lamented the fact that the coronavirus crisis has left them with little or no room for friendly games which would have given him the chance to try out new players, he however said he is hopeful of one or two test games.
“If we are in the Afcon, and I think we can do it, we will have one or two friendlies to prepare and then I hope seven games again until the finals. Small final and big final, could be nine games. And then you have the World Cup qualifiers; can be 10. A friendly again or two, 11. A lot of matches to come in a small time.
“This is why it is necessary to know everybody, to talk to the players regularly, because there is no time to make new experiences, to make a test or experiments with new players for something like that.”
Osas Mahawi
