Rohr overtakes Amodu on Nigeria all-time appearance list

Gernot Rohr has edged ahead of Shaibu Amodu on Nigeria’s all-time appearance makers list having led the Super Eagles out against Cape Verde in Tuesday’s 2022 World Cup qualifier.

With 54 games under his belt, the German tactician has now become the most capped handler of the three-time African champions in history.

Rohr had equalled the Nigerian great’s feat in Saturday’s 2-0 triumph over Liberia at the Stade Ibn Batouta in Tangier.

Prior to the clash against the Lone Star, Amodu held on to that record with 53 appearances in over six spells in charge of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations – starting from 1994 as Clemens Westerhof’s successor.

Before he sadly passed away on June 10, 2016, at the age of 58, he qualified Nigeria for two World Cups (2002 and 2010), and on both occasions, he was denied the chance of leading the country to the global football showpiece by the Nigeria Football Federation.

Rohr took over the West Africans in 2016 as a permanent replacement for Sunday Oliseh.

His first game was against Tanzania on September 3, 2016, in the final game of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers – winning 1-0 at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium – with Kelechi Iheanacho’s 79th-minute effort separating both sides.

Rohr’s first defeat came against South Africa – bowing 2-0 in Uyo to Bafana Bafana.

On October 7, 2017, his Super Eagles became the first African side to qualify for the 2018 Fifa World Cup after a 1–0 win against Zambia.

Two years later, the former Gabon and Burkina Faso coach led Nigeria to a third-place finish at the 2019 Afcon in Egypt.

In May 2020, his contract was extended by NFF.

“I'm happy to announce that the NFF and coach Gernot Rohr have concluded all contractual discussions and he will stay on as coach of the Super Eagles," NFF president Amaju Pinnick told media.

"We have always had confidence in his abilities, and we are confident that the national team can only go higher from here.

"We can now focus on qualifying for the 2022 World Cup and winning the Nations Cup. In truth, these are sacrosanct and coach Rohr is aware of these conditions.”