Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has questioned his midfielders tactical awareness in the wake of their 2-1 loss to Algeria in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations semi-final clash, WE4WE reports.
Riyad Mahrez curled in a free-kick around the wall and into the net to hand Algeria a 2-1 win and end Nigeria’s dream of a fourth title.
Odion Ighalo’s penalty in the 75th minute had earlier canceled out an own goal scored by William Troost-Ekong.
“We have to work much more, we are young, our midfield is the youngest one, and (Wilfred) Ndidi, (Oghenekaro) Etebo and (Alex) Iwobi, they have to learn tactically, they have to make a better communication,” said his post-match interview. “But they will do it.”
With the trio (Ndidi, Etebo and Iwobi) playing in midfield, the Eagles recorded wins over Guniea, Cameroon and South Africa but were stifled in the semi-final clash against the Desert Foxes.
The Eagles team which started Sunday’s match had an average age of only 24.7 and they have shown impressive powers of recovery throughout the finals.
Nigeria-three-time winners of the AFCON, will face Tunisia in Wednesday’s third-place match in a bid to land their seventh bronze medal at the tournament.