AFCONQ: Rohr unhappy at fixture schedule. Why is CAF unbothered?

Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr has expressed dissatisfaction over his team’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) fixture schedule for November.

The Eagles, who finished the 2019 tournament as third best team in Egypt, will begin their race to the next edition on November 13 against Benin Republic at Uyo, before facing Lesotho away four days after.

Rohr spoke to BBC Sport about his worries over a ‘tight schedule’ and revealed that his team had already laid the complaint to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) but the football body has ‘done nothing’ about it.

“Our players from Europe will only get to us a day or two before the first game, so there is no time for adaptation to the African conditions,” Rohr said.

Read Also: AFCON 2021: Rohr releases Eagles squad list for Benin, Lesotho qualifiers

“After that game on Thursday we travel to Lesotho away on Friday to play on an artificial surface on Sunday. This is not ideal and proper for any team.

“We’ve spoken to Caf about this but nothing has been done.”

A 23-man Super Eagles squad was announced on Wednesday, giving the players and team officials enough time to prepare mentally ahead of the seemingly busy international break.

From the schedule of fixtures by CAF, some other teams involved in the qualifiers next month are also bound to bear a similar burden of tight schedule.

The Black Stars of Ghana, for instance, are billed to face the Bafana Bafana of South Africa at home on November 14 at the Cape Coast Stadium, before playing away against São Tomé and Príncipe in the space of four days.

Rohr’s men will begin their Group L campaign in Uyo.

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