Rohr: Nigeria are underdogs against Iceland

By Daily Sports on June 22, 2018

Nigeria boss Gernot Rohr believes the Super Eagles remain underdogs ahead of their clash with Iceland today.

Iceland held Argentina to a 1-1 draw in their opening game and could take a giant leap to the knockout stages with victory against the Super Eagles in Group D.

Nigeria lost 2-0 to Denmark in their opening game and another defeat is likely to spell the end of their World Cup.

Nigeria wrap up their Group D campaign against Argentina on Tuesday.

Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel and Blues winger Victor Moses are the highest profile members of the squad, which also includes Leicester’s Wilfred Ndidi and Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi.

“Why we don’t have star players? It’s because we are the youngest team of the World Cup,” said Rohr.

“We have Obi Mikel, who is a very good player, you can tell that he is a star, we have Victor Moses who is well known everywhere but we have so many young players, they will be stars, I hope so, tomorrow.

“What we have is a team for 2022, because when you are so young, with the goalkeeper and all the other people, they will be better and better.

“We are in the top 50 in the world, Iceland is in the top 20 (22), Croatia is in the top 12 (20), and Argentina in the top eight.

“When I see that the matches are so difficult and the scores are so close, we have to learn also, it is not finished after this World Cup for us.

“We want to improve, we want to learn. When you are the youngest, it is not possible, perhaps, to be the best already.”

Bullish Iceland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson insists he expects nothing less than victory against Nigeria.

Iceland are the smallest nation ever to play in the World Cup and after an impressive point against Argentina — where Hannes Halldorsson saved a Lionel Messi penalty — Hallgrimsson is confident.

Ahead of the game at the Volgograd Arena, he said: “We expect to win. We have rotated the team a lot during qualification and we are not afraid, we will not change our plans of what we have decided to do before today’s game.

“We take meetings where we talk about how we can progress, what we should do as a team.

“Everyone is on board, no one is trying to be bigger than the next guy and that is why this side is getting results above their individual quality.

“The collective value is higher than the individual value so I think that is the strength of the squad.

“No one is trying to take the spotlight for themselves and they normally give the other guys around them the credit and I think that is rare in football today.” (Irish Examiner)

Photo shows Rohr

Source Daily Sports

Posted June 22, 2018


 

You may also like...
Adepoju charges Rohr to use friendlies to fix...

Depay hits hat-trick as Netherlands thrash Turkey

Nairabet CEO keen to buy Sunshine stars

Pulisic, Pedro Shine as Chelsea Beat Red Bull...

Real Madrid Suffer Another Ramos Injury Blow

Ibrahimovic ‘Always Wants To Play’ — AC Milan...

 

Latest News Doyle, Blaq, Adesanya Commend “Owo-Ojumo” Initiative 6TH JOF KIDS CUP KICKS OFF IN LAGOS STATE Mikel knocks Maresca, Sancho amid Blues woes ‘Criticism over missed penalty disrespectful’, Lookman replies Atalanta coach Jonathan calls for athletes’ pension scheme Osimhen sets Turkish transfer record, €70m above second Parker eyes Joshua rematch after Dubois bout Adesanya sends cryptic message to Boniface Oyome secures third consecutive IBB Ladies Open title African champion Opeyori sets sights on more titles Fasuba, Ogunkoya warn against over-reliance on NCAA athletes Nwaneri breaks Saka’s EPL record

 

Most Read Rangers International going, going . . . (55,302 views) Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,448 views) Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,479 views) Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (44,117 views) Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (44,078 views) Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (44,065 views) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (43,877 views) NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,432 views) Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,521 views) Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,177 views) Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,618 views) John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (39,043 views)

 

Phone numbers

Tel: +234(0)8066020976
+234(0)8055068145
+234(0)7013416146
+234(0)8094272884

Email addresses

info@dailysportsng.com
support@dailysportsng.com
publisher@dailysportsng.com

Office address

No 3, Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja Lagos.
Website: www.dailysportsng.com

Social Media