As the final whistle went at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos, there was a silence so intense.
The other noise you could hear was from players and officials of Central African Republic.
They just claimed a famous 1-0 win over Nigeria in a 2022 World Cup qualifier. K. Namnganda netted the winner in stoppage time as the three-time African champions were stunned on home spoil.
Ahead of the game, Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr complained about the late arrival of some players. He was also without the England-based trio of Wilfred Ndidi, Oghenekaro Etebo and Alex Iwobi.
However, in Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho and Simon Moses, the German had genuine firepower to defeat a side ranked 124th by FIFA.
A lot of people have questioned Rohr’s tactical nous for a long time. Even when he has had the full complement of players available, he has not already made the best choices, especially when it comes to in-game management.
For most of the game against CAR, the Eagles looked clueless. They struggled to create chances and resorted to long balls against lesser fancied opponents. The midfielders failed to pick up the ball and dictate the play.
The truth is, Nigeria didn’t deserve to win. Rohr did not have a plan to win. And serious questions need to be asked.
He doesn’t appear to be the one to take Nigerian football to the next level. The NFF have a decision to make at this point.
In three days, CAR will host the reverse fixture. And if we see a repeat of today, Rohr should be on his way. It’s that simple.
