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Igiebor: Why Super Eagles coach Rohr has not selected midfielder

Igiebor: Why Super Eagles coach Rohr has not selected midfielder
Igiebor: Why Super Eagles coach Rohr has not selected midfielder

Nosa Igiebor has revealed why he has not been playing for the Nigeria national team, suggesting he was frozen out by coach Gernot Rohr.  

The 29-year-old was involved in the German tactician’s opening two games but was dropped to the bench against Zambia during the 2018 World Cup qualifying game.

The former Maccabi Tel Aviv midfielder explained he met with Rohr to know why he was not involved in the match, and the 66-year-old responded that he should move to a better league as the Israeli Premier League was not competitive enough.

“In Europe, if your coach doesn’t play you, you have a right to ask why you’re not getting game time so that you’ll know where to improve in your game,” he told Brila FM.

“The coach will even be happy. I did that when we got to Abuja. Wrapped my hands around the coach and asked him why I wasn’t playing.

“You know what he said to me? I should go and play in England because most players he played play in England.

“That he doesn’t like the level of the Israeli league insisting that I should move to a better league if I want to play. I was shocked because I have played in Betis and even in the Champions League in the past.

“The following week they took a picture from a newspaper in Nigeria and sent to me, you know what Rohr said about me is that I will not call these players again because they are only coming here for the bonus.

“First on the list is Nosa Igiebor, my name was number one. So I was interviewed on this same station and I said I don’t want to play for the national team again if that is what this man thinks about me.”

Igiebor was part of Nigeria’s squad that won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations along with Sunday Mba, who emerged as one of the star-performers in the competition.

The former Real Betis midfielder was, however, excluded from the final Super Eagles squad to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and has revealed why he failed to make Stephen Keshi’s list.

“Football is all politics, they took me out of the starting line-up, not because of Sunday Mba is better than me,” he continued.

“Yes he’s hardworking and he is very good, but it all boils down to the politics in Nigeria Football and that is why I wasn’t unable to go to the World cup. Even the Sunday Mba who was at the Afcon didn’t go to the world cup.”

The former Anorthosis Famagusta midfielder has made 15 appearances for the three-time African champions and scored two goals.

Savier Temple

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