Th e selection of players for national team assignment by coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria Gernot Rohr Super Eagles technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr has claimed responsibility for the list of the players called upon to prosecute the World Cup qualifi ers between Nigeria and the Indomitable Lions of Cameroun, declaring that nobody doctored or infl uenced his choices.
Th e Eagles chief tactician made this declaration to douse insinuations and discussions by many pundits who have been questioning the inclusion or exclusion of some players in the team unveiled by the Nigeria Football Federation on Tuesday. In the fi nalist released onTuesday, Rohr kept faith with his regular army, including goalkeepers Daniel Akpeyi, Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Dele Alampasu, defenders William Ekong, Elderson Echiejile and Abdullahi Shehu, midfi elders Ogenyi Onazi, John Ogu, Wilfred Ndidi and Oghenekaro Etebo, and forwards Ahmed Musa, Moses Simon, Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho.
Th ose added to the list only include Mikel John Obi and forward Odion Ighalo, Victor Moses, Leone Baklogun and Israel –based marksman Anthony Nwakaeme, who gets his fi rst call in the senior team. Aside from the above 23 players picked, seven other players are being placed on standby. Coach Rohr explained that the players invited for the all important match were picked on merit by himself and member of his technical crew. “How I select the players? I monitor them, we have to see videos. I’m not the only one doing that, every coach in Africa is doing that. Th e Federation (NFF) don’t tell us who to pick. We pick the team ourselves,” Rohr said. “I work freely. Nobody tell me how to work and that is very important for me. We will try to monitor the good players for future invitations to the team,” he explained.
