Rohr disagrees with Wenger on hosting World Cup every two years

Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr has expressed disagreement with former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on the possibility of hosting the World Cup biennially.

Wenger, currently overseeing the global development of football at world governing body FIFA, had in March called for the showpiece to be held once every two years rather than four years.

FIFA as well as other football bodies across the globe have been meeting in respect to this, but it is yet to be known which decision would be final.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) had already expressed their support for the move, stating that it would help develop the sport on the continent.

But Rohr, leading the national team of the most populous black nation, has given reasons why it would be difficult to change the hosting format of the World Cup.

“I think it is very difficult to make the World Cup every two years because you don’t have the time,” Rohr said in an interview with Elegbete TV.

Read Also: Wenger calls for FIFA World Cup to be held every two years

“The dates are already so fixed that you don’t have any time to do other qualifiers or other tournaments or playoffs.

“We only have 365 days in a year and we cannot play every day.

“But it is good that the next World Cup after Qatar there will be more teams to play. Africa, for example, will be having nine teams and not only five, which is much more democratic and realistic.

“It will give more chances to people to participate, but to play the World Cup every two years, for me, is actually impossible.

“We don’t have the time and we have to respect the health of the players; you cannot have teams with 45 players, which is very impossible.

“So, I think this proposition is not realistic because we have the AFCON already, which is every two years and we also have the Olympics, which we didn’t qualify for the last one and there is the U-20 tournament.

“There are so many competitions that it is impossible for me to have the World Cup every two years,” added the Franco-German gaffer.

Rohr is currently leading training in Morocco where no fewer than 22 invited players have arrived the Super Eagles camp ahead of their World Cup qualifying game against Lone Star of Liberia this Saturday.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now