Mainz Star Ujah Reveals Meeting With Rohr At Airport Before World Cup Squad Was Announced

Published: July 02, 2018

Mainz star Anthony Ujah did everything possible to be named in the Super Eagles 2018 World Cup roster, including ending his association with Chinese club Liaoning Whowin before the expiration of his contract.

Ujah found first-team opportunities limited following his return to Germany making only 12 appearances in all competitions and logging 253 minutes in total.

The former Werder Bremen and Cologne striker has explained that his lack of game time was the main reason he was not invited to the Nigeria squad for the World Cup despite a chance meeting with manager Gernot Rohr in Frankfurt.

''I met once with our national coach Gernot Rohr in Frankfurt at the airport. Unfortunately, I did not play that often in the second half of the season, so it just did not work,'' Ujah told Bild.

With the 2019 African Cup of Nations qualifiers set to resume in September, Ujah has not given up hope of returning to the Super Eagles fold.

''A German coach monitors the Bundesliga - maybe there's something else!''.

Ujah was on target as Mainz began their preseason schedule with a 12-0 demolition of DJK-SV Phoenix Schifferstadt on Saturday, June 30.

Igho Kingsley