Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr will sign a new contract next week; right after agreeing on terms to extend his four-year stay with one of Africa’s football powerhouses. The national football body disclosed this Tuesday, May 19.
During the new two-year contract, Rohr is expected to lead Nigeria to qualification for a seventh World Cup finals; and the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
“The executive committee mandated the general secretary to liaise with Super Eagles technical adviser; Gernot Rohr, with a view to concluding all matters around his new contract within the next one week,” the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said in a statement in Abuja.
Rohr, 66, has been in charge of the three-time African champions since 2016.
The former Niger and Gabon coach led Nigeria to the 2018 World Cup in Russia; and the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations staged in Egypt, where the team placed third.
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Top officials have insisted on inserting new provisions in the contract such as paying Rohr in local currency as against his current 45,000 euro ($49,000) monthly salary.
He is also expected to spend more time living in Nigeria.
The Franco-German national has been credited with assembling a young team; one made up of players who had previously represented their adopted countries at age-group levels.
However, his critics argued that he has continued to overlook players from the domestic league in his squad.
Rohr’s defence is that Nigeria’s best players are based in Europe.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) says it will accelerate the payment of the final tranche of financial rewards to participating clubs in its interclub competitions for the 2019/20 season.
The continental football governing body, in a statement on Saturday, said this was in light of growing concerns and evolving nature of COVID-19 pandemic; leading to the suspension of football activities across the continent.
The statement quoted CAF President, Ahmad Ahmad, as saying that the distribution, which has since begun; is to reduce the financial burden on the 32 clubs that reached the group stages of the Total CAF Champions League and Total CAF Confederation Cup.
