I Will Be A Threat To Rohr As Super Eagles Assistant Coach – Amuneke

Former Super Eagles star and former coach of Tanzania’s national team Emmanuel Amuneke, has dispelled the rumours of been named a Super Eagles assistant coach under current German coach Gernot Rohr.

The former Under 20 coach says it is a disrespect to him if he’s asked to come be an assistant to Gernot Rohr. While also noting that he will see him as a threat distracting from concentrating more on his job, where he said might hold scepticism that he is there to take his job.

Amuneke said this while on the Punch TV Online interview programme, Kick&Follow. He spoke on other topical issues pertaining to Nigeria’s football.

The 1994 African Player of the Year clarified that he had a different philosophy from Rohr.

When asked if he would consider being Rohr’s assistant, Amuneke said, “No! Why? I have my principles. We are ready to serve our nation. But as individuals, we have our reputation to protect.

“If I come on board, I am a threat to Rohr. If I here as an assistant, he will lose more concentration. He will think I am there to take his job. We have decided to give him the job, but let us support him.  If Nigerians decide that Amuneke, we need your service, I will be there. But it is not possible (to be Rohr’s assistant). What will I be saying? He has his own philosophy, I have mine. What we can’t do is to create stories that are not real.

“Nobody has ever told me to come and be an assistant coach and if it’ll be, it is not possible, it will never be. I never rejected any offer. Nobody has ever approached me or ask me to come and assist the coach,” he said.

Amuneke, who won Olympic Gold in 1996 as a player and led Nigeria to the 2015 Under-17 World Cup in Chile, also considered being Rohr’s assistant as a disrespect.

The 49-year-old said, “I am not better than anybody. It is not arrogancy. It is unfortunate that we don’t respect our stars in Africa. It might be true or not, but in life, we should be guided by the things that we say. I deserve a little bit of respect and I didn’t reject any job.

“After U-20, I decided to get out of the Nigerian space. I took that decision myself. At the age that I am now, I have been involved in football all my life, for me I like challenges and I am not afraid. I should make decisions for myself and respect others.”

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