Nigeria manager Gernot Rohr has explained why the national team lost to England, pointing out that they could not train twenty four hours before the game and also blaming Wilfred Ndidi’s injury for Nigeria’s dismal display in the first-half.
The Super Eagles were beaten 2-1 by the Three Lions, two weeks before their World Cup opener against Croatia and Rohr has said that they have to step up their preparations.
”The first lesson is that we are not ready yet and we have to work much more in two weeks before our first game,” Rohr said at his post-match press conference.
”Our first half, perhaps also the preparation was not so good, yesterday we couldn’t train because it was raining and the pitch was not good enough to make us train.
”We ran around the pitch and two days before we arrived at 3 in the morning after ten hours flight.
”I think in the beginning of the game the players were not ready. Then in the second half, our changes, a lot of lesson for the players today.”
”In the first half, we had our usual organization 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-1-1 but it didn’t work for several reasons because some of our players were not fit, also England had a good beginning and put the pressure on us.
”The first goal was from a corner and we didn’t come out. It was an opportunity to change our system at half-time and play a bit like England 3-5-2 or 5-3-2, we also changed four players.
”It was much better, unfortunately in the World Cup we can’t change four players, the players that came in did very well and we saw a different second half,” added Rohr.
Rohr also allayed injury concerns over Arsenal winger Alex Iwobi, who was seen holding the back of his thigh in the closing minutes of the game.
At the post-match press conference, the German football tactician came with some cheering news that the Hale End Academy product was not injured and only suffered from cramps.
”Only cramps, other players also had cramps which means that all this traveling from Nigeria, at first they are coming from Europe to Nigeria to Lagos, from Lagos to Uyo, from Uyo to Port Harcourt, from Port Harcourt to Abuja again for the Presidential reception,” Rohr explained.
”I am happy that we don’t have injuries, only cramps.”
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