By Maduabuchi Kalu on October 25, 2019

Christian Chukwu, former national team captain and coach, has declared that he can’t place the blame Super Eagles’ gaffer, Gernot Rohr, for the lack of home-based players in the national team, the Super Eagles.

According to him, there is no way he will blame the Franco-German Football tactician on the absence of home-based players since he doesn’t know the type of contract he signed with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

He explained that inasmuch as he does not like the absence of home grown players in the national team, he is not going to crucify the former Bayern Munich defender as it is the contract that the German signed with the Federation that determines what he does.

Continuing, the former Enugu Rangers captain and coach declared that he is at a loss at the absence of local or home based players in the Super Eagles even as he attributed the exodus of Nigerian football players to obscure leagues to the disdain extended to the local players in preference to foreign-based players.

Chukwu, who bared his mind in recent exclusive interview with DailySportsng.com at his VinBecca Hotel in Enugu, said: “I would like to say that I am an unrepentant advocate of home-based players forming the bulk of our national teams and Nigeria should not an exception.

“I have never seen a country that her national team are made of 100 per cent foreign-based players. Nigeria is the only country I can pin point that have this very bad record.”

Continuing, Chukwu said: “Just conduct a simple research and come and tell me that I am wrong. This is not what we met on ground and it was not what we left behind.

“During Clemens Westerhof’s era as the technical adviser of the Super Eagles, I was his assistant as the chief coach of the team. I can tell you that up to 80 or 90 per cent of the national team players were home based players with very few foreign based.

“Players like Daniel Amokachi, Ben Iroha, Thompson Oliha, Emmanuel Amuneke, Taribo West, Garba Lawal, Uche Okechukwu, Finidi George, Augustine Eguavoen, Thompson Oliha, and Bright Omokaro among others were all home based players at the national team. That is how to build a strong national team. Because of our belief in building a strong national, Westerhorf was going from one league venue to the other, hence he was ability to discover many talented players for national team.

“Having said that, it would be wrong of me to blame Rohr for the lack of home-based players in the national team.

“I will not blame him because I don't know the type of contract he signed with the Amaju Melvin Pinnick-led board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). I can only blame him if I am privy to the contract he signed with the Federation.

“I do not know the type of contract he signed that has made him to be the Super Eagles’ coach from abroad. The man does not stay here unlike the time of Westerhorf. Of course, everyone is aware that during Westerhorf time, he lived in Nigeria and was going from one match venue to the other fishing out raw talents and nurturing them but the same cannot be said of the current national team coach, Gernot Rohr.

“It’s because of this disdain for local players that made every Nigerian player to be desperate to leave the shores of this country for greener pastures because no matter how good such a player is, he will not be considered for invitation for national team assignment but once he leaves the country to any obscure country, invitation will be extended to him.

“How do you build the league in the country if local players are not considered for national team assignments? It is this situation that has put our players in precarious situation where they risk their lives in some war torn countries in order to answer foreign-based players.

“How do you justify a Nigerian player going to none football playing countries like Vietnam, India, Afghanistan among other countries just to ensure that he answers foreign based player and before you know it, invitation will be extended to him for the Eagles. It is bad and most unfortunate that our national team coach is based abroad instead of staying in the country.

“He only comes around when they have a match involving an African team and immediately that is over he zooms off. At times, he assembles the team in any European country of his choice. Is that how to build a strong national team?”

•PHOTO: Football legend Christian Chukwu

Source Daily Sports

Posted October 25, 2019

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