The Nigeria Football Federation on Sunday sacked Gernot Rohr as coach of the national team after several weeks of speculation concerning his future due to poor performances.
The 68-year-old German national Rohr, who had been Super Eagles coach since August 2016, had a contract with Nigeria until December 2022.
Rohr led Nigeria to the 2018 World Cup and guided the team to third at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Rohr has also qualified the Eagles for next year’s Africa Cup in Cameroon, but he recently came under fire for poor displays against lowly-rated opponents.
The NFF said former coach Augustine Eguavoen would take charge of the Super Eagles.
MEET THE 20 FOREIGN COACHES WHO HAVE MANAGED NIGERIA
Gernot Rohr 2016-2020
In August 2016, he was named manager of the Nigeria national football team by Amaju Pinnick, the chief of the Nigeria Football Federation. He won his first game in charge of the Nigerian national team, defeating Tanzania by a lone goal in Uyo, Nigeria.
He lost his first match on 10 June as Nigerian senior coach after a 2–0 home loss to South Africa.
On 7 October 2017, his Nigeria-led team became the first African side to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup after a 1–0 win against Zambia. On 17 July 2019, Rohr led Nigeria to a third-place finish at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. On 27 May 2020, president of the Nigeria Football Federation NFF Amaju Melvin Pinnick announced that Rohr all contractual agreement has been concluded for Rohr to extend his contract with the team.
He was given a target of guiding the team to win the 2021 Africa Nation’s Cup to be hosted by Cameroon. The new contract also includes qualifying the Super Eagles to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. On 12 December 2021 he was sacked despite qualifying for the 2021 Africa Nation’s Cup and final round of qualifying for the World Cup playoffs.
-Las Lagerback (Sweden) 2010
Lagerbäck was appointed On the 26th of February 2010. He led Nigeria to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Nigeria had a poor performance in the World Cup. Nigeria was eliminated from the 2010 World Cup with just one point.
– Berti Vogts (Germany) 2007-2008
The German four-year contract abruptly ended 13 months later. He resigned following the poor outing of the Eagles at the 2008 Nations Cup in Ghana. Nigeria ended their campaign in the quarter-finals after losing to Ghana.
– Thijs Libregts (Holland) 1998-1999
He began to manage Eagles in August 1998. He was relieved of his job after winning just two games in five matches in the build-up to the 2000 Nations Cup.
– Bora Milutinovic (Serbia) 1998
The Serbian was popularly referred to as the Miracle Worker. He was hired to guide the Eagles through France‘98 but the Super Eagles failed to go beyond the second round of the competition.
-Philippe Troussier (France) 1997
‘White Witch Doctor’ as he is popularly called was engaged by Nigeria in 1997 and guided the Super Eagles in qualifying for the 1998 World Cup. He left Nigeria the same year.
-Johannes Bonfrere (Holland) 1995-1996
The Dutchman had the opportunity to be in charge of the Olympic football team in 1995 and the following year led the team to win gold at Atlanta‘96 Olympic Games. When Thijs Libregts was fired in 1999, Bonfere was hired to manage the Eagles again and he led them to a second-place finish at the 2000 Nations Cup co-hosted by Nigeria and Ghana.
-Clemens Westerhof (Holland) 1989-1994
He won the 1994 Nations Cup and helping the country qualify for its first World Cup. His first remarkable success was reaching the Nations Cup final in 1990 in Algeria where Nigeria lost 1 – 0 to the host.
-Manfred Hoener (Germany) 1988-1989
He led Nigeria to a second-place finish at Maroc‘88 Nations Cup.
-Gottlieb Göller (Germany) 1981
He was engaged to coach the Nigerian team after a 2-0 loss in Lagos to Algeria in the first leg at the last qualifying series for Spain ‘82 World Cup. Goller later left the country to work in Mozambique and then Togo.
-Otto Glória (Brazil) 1978-1982
The former Portugal coach guided Nigeria through the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations, which the team won in the final in Lagos with a 3-0 win over Algeria. He left this position after poor performances at the 1982 Nations Cup in Libya.
-Jelisavic ‘Tiki’ Tihomir (Yugoslavia) 1974-1978
Popularly called Father Tiko, the Slav narrowly missed taking the national team to the Argentina ‘78 World Cup after Godwin Odiye scored an own goal in the match against Tunisia to send Nigeria out of the race.
-Othman Calder (Germany) 1974
Calder was hired in December 1974 to prepare the team for the next Nations Cup. The following year, the coach suddenly abandoned his post and left the country after his employers, the National Sports Commission, had been unable to meet his demands.
-Karl-Heinz Marotzke (Germany) 1973-1974
From 1968 to 1970 he coached Ghana, which he led through the football tournament of the 1968 Olympics in Mexico, exiting there after the opening group phase with two draws and one defeat. After this he had appointments from 1970 to 1971 and 1974 with Nigeria[1] and in 2001 with Botswana.
-Joseph Ember (Hungary) 1965-1968
UNDER Ember, Nigeria failed to qualify for the Nations Cup in Tunisia in 1965 and in Ethiopia in 1968. His assistant, Peter ‘Eto‘ Amaechina, took over from him and was in charge of the team from 1969-1970.
-Jorge Penna (Brazil) 1963, 1972-1973
His first coming was in 1963 when he managed the team for one year before he managed the team between 1972 and 1973.
– George Vardar (Hungary) 1961-1963
Under him, Nigeria suffered tremendously in the hands of Ghana and Sudan. He left the post for Daniel Anyiam who had his second stint with the team.
-Moshe Jerry Beit haLevi (Israel) 1960 -61
In 1960, Jerry received an offer to coach the Nigerian national team. In his first match against Ghana, Nigeria was beaten 3-0 in Lagos and the press called for Beit haLevi to be fired. He decided to stick with the job and helped build a better Nigerian side.
-Les Courtier (England) 1956-1960
The biggest win Nigeria ever recorded took place under his guidance when the Red Devils beat Dahomey (now Benin) 10-1 on November 28, 1959.
– John Finch (England) 1949
He led Nigeria to its first international game against Sierra Leone on October 8, 1949 when both countries were under British administration. Nigeria won 2-0. He handed over to Daniel Anyiam who became the first indigenous coach of the national team.
