Ejaria Better Than Ebere Eze? Super Eagles Coach Rohr Says Reports Are False & Very Disrespectful

Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has dismissed reports in the local media that suggested that the Nigeria Football Federation should make a move for Liverpool loanee Ovie Ejaria rather than attempting to convince Queens Park Rangers star to pledge his international allegiance to Nigeria.

The two London-born midfielders of Nigerian parentage have both trained with the Nigeria national teams in the past, with Ejaria involved with the Golden Eaglets in 2013 and Eze with the Super Eagles in 2017.

The reports wrongly claimed that Rohr was not convinced by the qualities of Eze and the German tactician had made contact with Ejaria over a call-up to the Super Eagles.

Rohr has issued a statement through the Super Eagles Media team, clarifying the reports : "My attention has been drawn to some statements online that I have described Reading FC player Ovie Ejaria as a better player than Queens Park Rangers' Ebere Eze and so the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) should get him in the team immediately.

"This is totally false and very disrespectful to both players. I never compare players and I have not asked the NFF to make any approach for the player in question.

"I will never ask the NFF publicly to approach any player for our team. We have our processes and it certainly doesn’t include sharing such information publicly.

"Furthermore I think there must be restraint in press statements purportedly quoting me and my person in terms of interviews.

"I share a very good relationship with the media in Nigeria but this must not be abused to the extent of misquoting me and making wrong claims about my person."

Ejaria and Eze are both provisionally cap-tied to England and the former was part of the England squad that won the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup in South Korea.

Igho Kingsley