Rohr Warns Super Eagles Not To Take 'Defensive' Benin Lightly, Clarifies On Late Substitutions

Coach Gernot Rohr has warned the Super Eagles players not to take Benin lightly as they eliminated Morocco from the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and has highlighted the defensive qualities of the Squirrels.

The German noted that the Super Eagles did well in their last two internationals against Ukraine and Brazil but the players should not get carried away as Benin will be a different opposition.

Looking ahead to tomorrow's game, Rohr told reporters including allnigeriasoccer.com : ''We try always to bring the best team, our two games you spoke about were very difficult games against great teams but not African teams, the football was different and the two teams played very offensively so we had space and we need that in our team for our quick wingers and strikers, we enjoy it.

''It will not be the same game perhaps tomorrow because Benin Republic as a team play well defensively, you saw them play in the AFCON competition, they did so well, they eliminated Morocco for example and it will be different.

''Our two games were good games but it is dangerous to believe now we played well in these two games it will be easy against Benin, it will be more difficult because it is a different team, different football and we only have one day but it's the same for them.

''When you play at home, you leave some complicity in your play so I hope that with one training session, everybody together,  we will be able to have a good performance.

''If we play well, with our quality, nice pitch, we did not go there yesterday with our 14 players for the training, I hope the pitch will be good to play good football like we did in the last two games but in a different way because African football is not the same''.

Several fans have complained about Rohr's late substitutions in matches and the German was asked why he introduces players off the bench in the closing minutes even in friendlies.

The former Bayern Munich defender explained : ''I prefer to wait to be sure to make good replacements than to go quickly.

''I let the players the chance to show themselves, I have confidence in the team starting the game and then to bring somebody out if there is no injury.

''I must be sure that we have better possibilities to be stronger without the people starting the game but I think we changed six players in Singapore, it was the maximum.

''In Ukraine also, we saw a lot of people, now we have the chance to have two games which means that we can see a lot of players also.

''The players are happy when they play but we are 23, we can only play 14 in official games. Like you see the spirit in the team is good and they admit some other players can start in their place.''

Ifeanyi Emmanuel