Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr, has defended his inclusion of Genk forward, Paul Onuachu, in the national team set-up.
The KRC Genk forward on several occasions has come under attack from football fans claiming the striker’s style does not suit the possession-based style of football played by the national team.
Onuachu has only been able to score once for the team in seven appearances with the goal coming in a 1-0 friendly win against Egypt in March and has gone five games without a goal for the Eagles.
The Franco-German coach (Rohr) says Onuachu is important to the team when it come, to helping them switch the tactics from possession football to long ball situations.
“In some matches, you need long balls to go forward because you don’t have the luxury of time to construct the ball from the back, it can be interesting to have a tall player not just in the offence but to also defend the ball.”
“Like we did in the AFCON against Cameroon, we brought in players with heights.
“It is interesting to have all these tall guys but it is true that the football we play we do that on the ground.
“It is difficult for Onuachu that’s why somehow he did not play the AFCON qualifiers against Benin and Lesotho but he is a good player. “
Despite having difficulties in getting goals with the Eagles, the former FC Midtjylland striker has been in form for his club netting six times in 14 appearances this term.
Rohr in the coming weeks will have a meeting with the Nigeria Football Federation with talks about his contract extension major on the agenda.
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