Former Coach Rohr Tips Morocco and Senegal for Success, Rues Nigeria's Non-Participation

Gernot Rohr, the former Super Eagles coach, has expressed his support for Morocco and Senegal to make a significant impact at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while also voicing his disappointment at Nigeria's continued absence from the tournament, citing the absence of talented players like Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman as a real shame.

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Rohr, who currently manages the Benin Republic and previously guided Nigeria to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, shared his thoughts after watching several matches in the United States before returning home, noting that African teams have bridged the gap with their European and South American counterparts.

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He mentioned that he had observed this trend in matches featuring Morocco against Brazil and France against Senegal, as well as Ivory Coast against Ecuador, saying "From what I saw physically, in the two games featuring Morocco against Brazil and France against Senegal, as well as Ivory Coast against Ecuador, I think the African teams are doing well at the moment."

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Rohr also acknowledged that some African teams, such as South Africa, Tunisia, and Algeria, had faced difficulties, but overall performed well, stating "Perhaps it was a bit difficult for South Africa, the Bafana Bafana, and it was certainly tough for them in the opening game.

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The Franco-German tactician emphasized that African football has caught up with the traditional powers, saying "Strategically, we are now on the same level as European or South American teams, which is great.

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He also noted that the physical fitness of African teams has improved, saying "The same goes for physical fitness, I think they are now on par with the standards in Europe.

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Rohr praised the organization of African teams, stating "The organisation of the African teams now is much better than before," and singled out Morocco as the team best placed to carry Africa's hopes deep into the tournament.

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He expressed his belief that Morocco can go far in the competition, saying "I believe Morocco can go very far in this competition."

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Rohr also commended Senegal's performance against France, despite their 3-1 defeat, noting that they lost their grip on the match in the second half.

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Regarding Nigeria's absence from the World Cup, Rohr expressed his regret, citing the team's failure to play cohesively and dropping too many points in the qualifying campaign.

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He stated "I also think about how Nigeria hasn’t participated since 2018, I believe this is because when we faced them in the group stage, even though they had great individual players with immense quality, they simply didn’t play like a team early on and dropped too many points."

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Rohr lamented the absence of talented Nigerian players like Osimhen and Lookman, saying "It is truly a pity that major players like Osimhen and Lookman are not here to be seen.

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He shared his personal experience, saying "For me, it’s a pity, I was in New York, I could see some games, I’m heading back home now and will be following other games from my home."

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Nigeria's failure to qualify for the World Cup was due to their poor performance in a group featuring South Africa, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and the Republic of Benin, with South Africa eventually topping the standings to claim automatic qualification.