Gernot Rohr set to drop veterans Akpeyi, Echiejile, Onazi and Ighalo for Nations Cup qualifier

SUPER Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr looks set to end the international careers of several veterans by leaving them out of his squad when he names the team to face the Seychelles in an African Nations Cup qualifier come September.

In two months time, the Eagles will travel to the Seychelles to revive their hopes of playing in Cameroon 2019 and coach Rohr will use the opportunity to commence rebuilding. He looks set to drop several members of the old guard like Daniel Akpeyi, Uwua Echiejile, Ogenyi Onazi and Odion Ighalo, who failed to make an impact at the World Cup.

On September 7, the Eagles, who lost their opening Nations Cup qualifier 0-2 to South Africa in Uyo, will travel to Victoria the Seychelles capital to face the Indian Ocean minnows.  Coach Rohr is expected to make his squad two weeks before the game and he has already indicated that it will involve some fresh faces.

Coach Rohr said: " I think some players who went to the World Cup without making an appreciable impact won’t be in the team. Particularly the likes of Echiejile, Akpeyi, Ighalo and Onazi but we’ll know more when the list is released two weeks to the game."

Nigeria crashed out of the World Cup in the group stages after losing her last match to Argentina with five minutes to go. Rather controversially, Rohr had decided to stick by many of the players who featured in the World Cup qualifiers, refusing to take fresh and young talents, including the likes of Dele Alampasu, Kelechi Nwakali, Olanrewaju Kayode, Victor Osimhen, Abdul Ajagun, etc.

With there being a need to rebuild, he now looks set to cull the old guard and bring in new players in the hope of building a squad that can genuinely compete for the 2002 World Cup. After Nigeria's exploits ion Russia, particularly the 2-0 win over Iceland, Rohr will be expected to win the 2019 Nations Cup taking place in neighbouring Cameroon.