Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr, who has signed a new contract with the Super Eagles, has said the Super Eagles are “not number one in Africa” – despite his new deal expecting him to deliver the 2021 Afcon.
The German told BBC Sport Africa he is “happy to continue” with Nigeria and that the new deal was “good for all of us.”
The contract quagmire between the Nigeria Football Federation and their coach, which lasted for over two months, finally came to an end with the announcement by the President of the Federation on Wednesday.But the NFF statement also highlighted a major expectation – that Rohr is to deliver the Afcon 2021 title to Nigeria, something the manager thinks will be difficult, though not impossible.
“When you go to a tournament it is to win it,” Rohr said.
“We finished third in the last one, and everybody wants to progress. But we know also that it is very difficult to win this tournament because we are not number one in Africa.
“But it is good to have these milestones and ambition.”
Rohr, whose new two-and-a-half year contract runs until the 2022 World Cup, also highlighted that he understands the risks of his contract and knows he has to qualify for Qatar.
“My contract all the time is a risk because it is finished when we are eliminated from a competition – whether the Afcon or World Cup,” he explained.
“I took the risk already when I arrived, and it is still the same. But I am very optimistic, because now we have a team which is playing good football and I have confidence in my players.”
