Rohr blasts CAF over AFCON tight schedules

Nigeria national team coach Gernot Rohr has expressed his displeasure over his side’s tight Africa Cup of Nations qualifying schedules in November.

Gernot Rohr, Super Eagles coach

The Super Eagles of Nigeria will open their Group L campaign against the Republic of Benin on November 13 before taking on Lesotho four days later.

The German tactician has unveiled a strong 23-man squad for the encounters as the three-time African champions kick off their quest to feature in the 2021 edition of the biennial tournament.

Rohr, who led Nigeria to claim their eighth bronze medal at this year’s edition, has revealed his frustration at his side’s schedules.

“Our players from Europe will only get to us a day or two before the first game, so there is no time for adaptation to the African conditions,” Rohr said, as per BBC Sport.

“After that game on Thursday, we travel to Lesotho away on Friday to play on an artificial surface on Sunday. This is not ideal and proper for any team.

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“We’ve spoken to Caf about this but nothing has been done.” Nigeria played friendlies against Ukraine and Brazil in their preparation for the qualifiers, and both games ended in draws.