Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr has signed a contract extension with the NFF to extend his Super Eagles tenure by two years.
Rohr, 63, was appointed on an initial two-year contract in August 2016, taking over a team in turmoil following Sunday Oliseh’s tumultuous reign.
He subsequently masterminded qualification to the 2018 World Cup with one game to spare after comfortably navigating a ‘Group of Death’ that included Cameroon, Algeria and Zambia.
Announcing the contract extension at an event to unveil the NFF’s campaign to take 100 fans to Russia on Monday, president Amaju Pinnick said the federation was impressed by Rohr’s work ethic and the foundations he is building for the national team.
“When we saw the draw for the World Cup, we knew we were condemned [by a tough group] and we determined that we must overcome it,” Pinnick said at the NFF’s event on Monday.
“The first thing we identified was that we needed a new coach so we reached out to Arsene Wenger, to Gerard Houllier, and one name kept coming to the fore: Rohr,” the football chief continued.
“Now we have no regrets about hiring him and he has proven himself not just by qualifying for the World Cup, but with the foundation, he is laying for our team, which now has young players from the age of 19, [he is] doing well.
“That is why, as we launch this fan engagement platform, I am proud and happy to announce that we have extended Rohr’s contract for another two years, and paid him his wages until December 2017.”
The decision represents a major vote of confidence in the coach, as several Nigerian coaches have left their post for various reasons in the aftermath of the World Cup.
This is the first time that a Super Eagles coach has had his contract renewed in the month before a World Cup.
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