By daily sports on November 20, 2016

By Augustine Kalu

Alhaji Shuaib Ahmed Gara Gombe, the pioneer chairman of Gombe State Football Association and former member of the defunct Nigeria Football Association (NFA) has declared that Nigeria does not have a coach or team despite leading Group B of the African Zone of FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifiers with maximum points.

Gombe, a known voice in Nigerian Football in a telephone interview with Daily Sports said he would not be deceived by the fact that the country has recorded two important victories under Gernot Rohr in the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers. He attributed the success recorded by the national team so far to the individual efforts of the players who he said are currently in good form and are doing well in their various clubs abroad.

“Well, I have not changed my position that Nigeria is yet to have a coach and team,” Gombe declared.

“Look, I cannot because the Super Eagles have recorded two important victories under Gernot Rohr then I will join the school of thought that believes because of the victories the impact of the coach is being felt. I won’t be a party to that.

“As far as I am concerned, Nigeria does not have a coach and a team yet. I would want to state clearly that the victories we have seen so far are made possible by the fine form and effort of the individual players in the team.

“Of course we all know that most of these players are doing well for their respective clubs abroad and it is the same form they have in their clubs that they have brought to bear in our games. So, it has nothing to do with the input of the coach.

“As we speak, our defence is suspect. As a matter of fact, we have one of the worst defence  in Africa. We may not have conceded many goals so far, it is not because we have good defence but the truth of the matter is that we are yet to meet a side that have tested the resilience of our defence line. Our defence is shaky; it is not solid like the defense of the Super Eagles that we used to know. So, we cannot attribute the success so far to the tactical and technical input of the coach.

“What about the midfield? We are not there either. Our midfield is not effective. There is no coordination among the three departments of the game. What about the attack. These are areas that are squarely the coach’s responsibility but nothing is happening in these areas.

“Like I said the individual effort of the players is what has seen us thus far. I can’t assess Rohr now until after the qualifiers because I have not seen any impact he has made in the team so far since assuming the reins of power as the Super Eagles’ gaffer.

“We should wait and see what happens next year when the World Cup Qualifiers would resume. By that time some of our players who are in fine form may go down and others may rise; but for now we are just enjoying the brilliant form of some of our players abroad.

“Just take a look at Iheanacho, just because he has not been playing regularly in his club for almost three weeks before this game, he was almost absent in the game but he was there but he was the same player that did very well in Zambia for us because at that time he was playing regularly with his club, Manchester City,” Gombe explained.

“Therefore, I make bold to say that it is not yet Uhuru because I am yet to see the Super Eagles as a team and I am yet to see Gernot Rohr as a coach because his impact in the team is yet to be felt.

“As far as I am concerned, we are still building the team because in every game you will discover some new players being introduced to the team. For now, there is no single game that we have not seen a new player being introduced.

“I think it will be wrong of me to join the bandwagon of those who are already singing alleluia that the Super Eagles have arrived just because we have won our first two games in World Cup Qualifiers. Inasmuch as I am happy for the victories we have recorded so far, I won’t be deceived or carried away by that until the end of the qualifying campaign.

“As far as I am concerned; we are still building the team since no one can predict exactly the players that would feature in any game for the team,” Gombe reasoned. 

•Photo shows Alhaji Shuaib Gara Gombe 

Source daily sports

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