Zimbabwe, Tough Test For S’Eagles – Rohr

Super Eagles Coach, Gernot Rohr has described the match against the Brave Warriors of Zimbawe
as a tough test ahead of the 2019 African Cup of Nations slated for Egypt later in the month
According to Rohr, though the Eagles failed to find the net in the pre -Nations Cup friendly game
at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba on Saturday, the Zimbabweans really tested Super Eagles’ resolve and spirit, which bodes well for the expected task of challenging for glory at the Nations Cup proper.
It was a send forth game organised for the Eagles before they get out to Egypt and one the home team and indeed the fans expected a win from, but it proved to be a sterner test than the script had promised. In a game played under heavy rain and wet conditions, the visitors proved very stubborn as they demonstrated great determination and resilience.
They defended resolutely and snuffed out any threat the Eagles tried to engineer. With a compact midfield with robust tackles and impressive team cohesion, they were able to deny Nigeria space and time to express themselves. However, few Nigerian players, particularly, Samuel Chukwueze, Samuel Kalu, Leon Balogun and Oghenekaro Etebo were able to show some glimpses of brilliance and promise.
The Eagles were unable to take advantage of  the rare and few opportunities that came their way, especially in the first half when leggy forward, Paul Onuachu was released by Alex Iwobi only for him to side net. Same tale continued in the second half when substitute Henry Onyekuru and Ahmed Musa’s crosses begged for connection to no avail.
In the end, it resulted in a scoreless stalemate, which was probably a fair result considering the industry of the visitors. The game also showed that Zimbabwe is certainly a dark horse that should not be taken for granted at the Nations Cup.
Coach Rohr, however expressed satisfaction with the performance of his players. He said that considering the difficult conditions the match was played in, all of the players deserved commendation for their performances, especially, their ability to try to play good football under extreme cold, wet and soggy conditions. He promised to continue to work to improve on lapses and performance of the team.