NFF may not have to pay Rohr severance pay as the two sides try to reach agreement

SUPER Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr may not get a severance package from the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) as ongoing negotiations between the two sides appear to have neared an agreement under which he would just be paid outstanding salaries.

Last month, Nigeria limped into the final qualification round of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with an unimpressive 1-1 draw with Cape Verde at home. This shoddy performance was the last straw for many Super Eagles fans who among other seen witnessed their team suffer a 0-1 humiliating loss at home to lowly Central African Republic.

With the final round of qualification involving a two-legged knock out tie against much sterner opposition in February, NFF officials are wary of leaving Mr Rohr in charge. Nigeria will either face Ghana, Cameroon, Egypt, Dr Congo or Mali in the final round and NFF officials are particularly concerned about the fact that Mr Rohr lacks the flexibility to change players or tactics when needed.

Over recent weeks, negotiations have been ongoing between both sides about how best to end the relationship without too much disruption.  According to ESPN journalist Colin Udoh, under the agreement reached, the NFF will only pay Mr Rohr his wages for the remainder of his current contract with no severance package.

NFF officials had been worried over ways to pay Mr Rohr for the remaining 12 months of his current contract before the Africa Cup of Nations begins in January. It remains to be seen who will lead the team to Cameroon, but former coach Jo Bonfrère has already submitted a formal application to the NFF as a potential candidate to take over from Mr Rohr.

Already, Mr Rohr has revealed he has sent a provisional list of 40 players to the Confederation of African Football  on the 15th of November ahead of next year’s Africa Cup of Nations. However, it is still unclear if Rohr will lead the team to the competition next year following the Super Eagles recent disappointing performances.

Nigeria is currently fifth in Africa and Egypt, who are sixth, have begun their quest to upstage Nigeria in World Cup play-off seeding. Should Nigeria lose their fifth position, they will have to face any of the five top ranked teams and play the decisive second leg away from home.