Nigeria head coach Gernot Rohr has emphatically assured Nigerians that his team will not lose against giant-killers Iceland in their Group D game at the Volvograd Arena on Friday evening.
The Franco-German faced the media for the last time before his team’s win-or-bust game after having lost against Croatia in Kaliningrad on Saturday, same day that the Icelandic side pulled off a shock 1-1 draw against group favourites Nigeria.
The former Gabon coach is keeping his cards close to his chest, although he insists his team have no problems in terms of their organisation and tactics.
“The tactic is something I don’t want to talk with journalists, I speak it with my players. We will have a tactic to win the match and which one exactly, I cannot tell you,” said Rohr.
“We lost the last match not to the organisation or tactic but we conceded two stupid goals so yes, we must be ready with good organisation against a decent team from Iceland.
When asked by our Chief Football Writer, Fisayo Dairo on what his future for the national team could look like in the eventuality of a loss for Nigeria on Friday, Rohr affirmatively stated that his side will not lose to Europeans.
“For me, it is not a question to lose this game. I feel that we will not lose this game so I don’t ask myself, you can ask if you like, after the game but I tell you, we will not lose.”
Rohr is expected to make some changes to his starting lineup for Friday’s game with Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi expected to be chopped off from the starting team alongside defenders Abdullahi Shehu and Bryan Idowu.