Ivory Coast vs Nigeria: Ex-Super Eagles boss Rohr ‘happy for his players’ after win over AFCON 2023 hosts (VIDEO)

Former Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr has commended his former side after Nigeria's crucial AFCON 2023 win over hosts Ivory Coast.

The German tactician spoke in glowing terms about Nigeria's win and praised his ex-players for their contribution to the momentous occasion for the Super Eagles. 

The decisive moment of the match occurred in the 55th minute when a penalty was awarded to Nigeria. This was a result of Ousmane Diomande's foul on Victor Osimhen. William Troost-Ekong, the Nigerian captain for the day, confidently converted the penalty, giving Nigeria the lead.

Despite strong support from the local crowd, the Ivorians struggled to breach Nigeria's solid defence, failing to create clear-cut chances throughout the game​​.

Former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr, who now coaches Benin Republic, praised Nigeria's tactical approach to the game. He highlighted the 5-4-1 formation deployed by Nigeria's current coach, Jose Peseiro, as a crucial factor in neutralizing Ivory Coast's attack.

Rohr commended Nigeria's defensive organisation, which effectively limited the Ivorian strikers' impact, telling Osasuo Obayiuwana, “It’s a very nice victory for the Nigerian team against Ivory Coast, who were not in the game at all. The organisation with the 5-4-1 formation was decisive because we didn’t see the strikers of Ivory Coast at all.”

The win was crucial for Nigeria, not just for the points but also as a response to criticisms faced by the team in the past.

Rohr, while happy for his former players, cautioned against complacency, reminding them of the importance of maintaining focus in every match of the tournament, saying “It’s a very good result, I’m happy for my players. There had been so many criticisms in the past that they answered with this big match, but they have to be careful and humble because in the last AFCON they won the three games in the group and they got knocked out in the next round. Each match is very important.”

This victory sets a strong precedent for Nigeria in their quest for success in the AFCON 2023 and possibly beyond, including their future encounters in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers​​.

Following this victory, Nigeria moved up to second place in Group A with four points, just behind Equatorial Guinea, who also stood at four points after their win against Guinea-Bissau.

Ivory Coast, with their first defeat of the tournament, found themselves in third place in the group. The result was a significant boost for Nigeria's hopes in the tournament, given the competitive nature of Group A​​.