Coach Gernot Rohr has said he will pick Nigeria’s best players no matter where they were born after critics slammed him for a preference for players born overseas.
German coach Rohr has been in charge of the Super Eagles for the past four years during which time he has capped a growing list of players, who were born abroad.
Such players include Rangers midfielder, Joe Aribo, Semi Ajayi of West Bromwich Albion, who were born in England; Tyronne Ebuehi of FC Twente, who was born in Holland, and Sparta Rotterdam goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye, who was born in Germany.
The Super Eagles faced Algeria last night and will take on Tunisia in another friendly matche on Tuesday, with Rohr, again, set to cap Kevin Akpoguma, who was born in Germany and has represented his adopted country at various age-group levels, as well as Cyriel Dessers, who has opted to play for the Super Eagles even though he was born in Belgium.
Rohr, who qualified Nigeria to the 2018 World Cup in Russia and has been rewarded with a new contract till June 2022, has maintained the quality of the player and not whether he was born in Nigeria or overseas will remain the first consideration in his team selection.
“We don’t take into account where a player was born before he is invited. We only look at the quality of the player,” maintained the coach.