Former Super Eagles and Benin Republic coach, Gernot Rohr, has commented on the tactical substitutions made by Finidi George during the recent match against Benin Republic.
The Super Eagles lost 2-1 to the Cheetahs of Benin in the World Cup qualifying game.
The Super Eagles’ coach, Finidi George, made crucial changes during the game, substituting Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze with Paul Onuachu and Ibrahim Olawoyin, respectively, to inject fresh energy into the team’s attack.
Rohr expressed his surprise and satisfaction with Finidi’s bold decisions, noting that the substitutions disrupted Nigeria’s rhythm and made it easier for Benin Republic to defend against their attacks.
Acknowledging the threat posed by Iwobi and Chukwueze, Rohr admitted that their absence from the game benefited his team defensively.
He remarked, “Of course, Coach Finidi tried, and he made five changes.
“And when I saw that he pulled out Iwobi and Chukwueze, who are both very dangerous players and brought in the big strikers, we had to react by bringing out our defensive midfielders (Cisse) in order to resist the attacks.”
“For me, Chukwueze and Iwobi are two of the best players of the Super Eagles and I was finally happy for my team that they didn’t play throughout the match.” Rohr added
The Super Eagles now find themselves in a challenging position, sitting fifth in group C with only three points.
