Rohr Regrets Absence of Key Players in World Cup Qualifiers

Gernot Rohr, the former coach of the Super Eagles, lamented Nigeria's disappointing start in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Nigeria has not participated in the last two tournaments, with their last appearance being in 2018 in Russia.

Rohr pointed out that Nigeria finished second in their qualifying group, which included South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and Benin. The team, under coach Eric Chell, lost to DR Congo in the playoffs.

Rohr emphasized that despite having great individual players with immense quality, the team failed to perform cohesively, leading to dropped points. He specifically mentioned the absence of major players such as Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze, and Ademola Lookman as a significant loss for the team, stating it is truly a pity that they were not present to contribute.