Sacking Gernot Rohr now is an invitation to disaster – Victor Ikpeba

Victor Ikpeba, a former Nigerian forward, has recommended the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to keep Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon rather than dismiss him.

This was revealed by Ikpeba at the SuperSports Monday Night Football Show, where he fumed that firing the German mastermind would mean doom for the Super Eagles during the tournament.

He cautioned the NFF to handle the situation with care so as not to jeopardize the senior national team’s progress.

“It is less than 48 days before our first game against Egypt at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. The speculation about his sack has been intense and I’m really surprised. I know what happened in 2002 and in 2010. Rumour of people going to the Sports Ministry and the Presidency calling for Rohr to be sacked.

“Gernot Rohr has done the needful qualifying the Eagles for the World Cup playoffs. Yes, we were not brilliant against Cape Verde but he has done the needful. Why not wait till after the AFCON and take a decision on his future. It will be a disaster if that happens now. If you sack Rohr and employ another coach, if the team fails at the AFCON who takes the blame?

“What will the new manager change. What changed in 2002 and in 2010. It was a disaster.This will happen again if Rohr is sacked now. My worry is that we forget history and we should not. Those who sacked the late Amodu Shuaibu twice said he was not good enough. Gernot Rohr has been too soft with the players the NFF can help him.”