Rohr blames Pinnick for Super Eagles World Cup ouster

Former Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr has blamed the immediate past Nigeria Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick for Nigeria's failure to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Ghana edged Nigeria in the double-header playoffs in March via the away goal rule after the Super Eagles failed to beat the Black Stars at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja following a goalless first leg in Kumasi.

The Pinnick-led NFF administration sacked the German coach in December last year with few weeks to the Nations Cup in Cameroon following a run of poor results.

The team's Technical Director Augustine Eguavoen was crafted in as head coach on an interim basis.

Eguavoen failed to progress the team beyond the round of 16 at the AFCON in Cameroon and also lost the World Cup ticket to rivals Ghana.

Speaking in a recent interview, the 62-year-old Rohr laid the blame for Nigeria's World Cup fiasco on Amaju Pinnick and his board members.

“Pinnick said my dismissal will avert a disaster, but in the end he created the disaster that cost Nigeria the ticket to the World Cup, he told Eagle7FM Sports.

“I regret that I did not take my team to win the World Cup; I regret my players will not be at the World Cup even though they deserve to be there. It was not my decision; it was a decision by Pinnick and his board.

“He was punished for this as Nigeria lost the chance to win the AFCON and did not qualify for the World Cup. I hope he takes better decisions now as a member of the FIFA Council.”

The 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup is set to kick off in the next three days in Qatar.

WDN