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Rohr The Unsung Eagles Shepherd -By Issa Babatunde Ahmed

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Gernot Rohr

With a deflated ego the Super Eagles defeated the AFCON defending champions Cameroon and put up a pulsating display against Bafana Bafana of South Africa to set up a delicately poised Semi-final match against the Desert Foxes of Algeria.

The Desert Foxes led by Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez are pegged as one of the favourites to lift the trophy are the highest goal scorers in the competition with 10 goals, unbeaten and only conceding once against Ivory Coast in the quarterfinal.

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While many back at home in Nigeria think the Super Eagles team style of play is pragmatic and not exciting as expected a reason why the manager Gernot Rohr hasn’t been getting the credit he deserves. Rohr in his spell as the Super Eagles boss has managed to get the best out of the team, qualifying the team for the World Cup with a game in hand, not only qualified the team for the AFCON after missing out last two editions but also topping the group.

After a long-serving stint as a Bordeaux player, Gernot Rohr began his managerial career with the French club and helped them to the final of the UEFA Cup in 1996.Spells in France, Switzerland and Tunisia followed, but since 2010 the German has established himself as one of the most experienced managers in African football.

Gernot Rohr, record for the three champions is seriously intimidating, losing to an African side on just two occasions over the last three years. After a short-lived spell in charge of Burkina Faso the 64-year-old was appointed Nigeria boss in August 2016, going on to lead them to the World Cup as the first African nation to qualify.

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In securing first continental title, Nigeria defeated Algeira 3-0 in 1980. A decade later, Algeria defeated Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations final to win their maiden and only title back in 1990 on home soil.

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Issa Babatunde Ahmed

The Super Eagles have met the North Africans 19 times on the international scene and they hold the record for the most wins [9] with two draws. Nigeria are unbeaten against the Desert Foxes since 1990, excluding the 3-0 win sanctioned by Fifa alongside a fine of CHF 6,000 as punishment to Gernot Rohr’s side for fielding an ineligible player in the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifying round even though the encounter ended 1-1 in the Stade Mohamed Hamlaoui back in 2017.

Nigeria’s predominance over Algeria in past competitive fixtures is emphatic, with the Super Eagles winning seven of the last nine between the two sides. Their most recent meeting in the Africa Cup of Nations came during a third-place playoff in 2010; Super Eagles beat Les Verts (1-0) in the last two encounters involving both nations at the AFCON (2002, 2010).

Algeria twice beat Nigeria at the 1990 tournament (5-1) in the group stage which holds the record of the heaviest defeat inflicted on the Super Eagles at the continental event & (1-0) in the final. Algeria is in their 7th semi-final of the tournament – their first since 2010. For the West Africans it’s their 15th semi-final as they seek a fourth title.

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Sunday’s outing at the Cairo International Stadium will be the ninth time Algeria and Nigeria will face off in the continental competition even though the Super Eagles have a slight advantage of not playing extra time football and also having beaten having beaten the North Africans in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, the Algerians remain the favourite in the poised but Gernot Rohr surely knows how to get the best out of his team but can he work his magic again?

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