Gernot Rohr has revealed how the Electronic Performance and Tracking Systems (EPTS) as well as his assistants led to the biggest tactical gaffe he made during the group match against Argentina at the 2018 World Cup.
With four minutes to the end of the crunch game against the Albiceleste and the Eagles poised to knock out Lionel Messi and co in the first round of the World Cup, the Nigeria Coach had ponder a substitution.
Rohr admitted opted against his better judgement relying on his assistants and the new technological device EPTS introduced by FIFA for the tournament.
The EPTS is a tablet-based system that allowed coaches at the World Cup access to player statistics and video footage in real time.
Each team was supplied with three tablets – one for an analyst in the stand, one for an analyst on the bench and another for the medical team.
Rohr said with the game poised at 1-1 he pondered a substitution; to replace a tired Ahmed Musa with Alex Iwobi.
However, according to his assistant in the stand, Argentina were wary of Musa and advised Rohr to keep the winger on the pitch a little longer.
The German recalled Iwobi who had been warming down, but a few moments later Marcos Rojo struck the blow that saw Nigeria crashing out of the World Cup.
So close but yet so far:
‘I wanted to make a change and bring in Alex iwobi on for Ahmed Musa; Musa was visibly tired, but there was an advise from my assistants up in the stand with the technology.
‘When they saw I was going to replace Musa with iwobi, they told me that Argentina were afraid of Musa and that I should leave him on and so I left him a while longer.
‘Maybe next time I will not wait, maybe next time I will just do what I feel. You can see we have learned a lot from the World Cup,’ explained Rohr.
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