NFF Celebrates Super Eagles Coach Rohr, Balogun's Birthdays

NFF Celebrates Super Eagles Coach Rohr, Balogun's Birthdays

By Editor

The football governing body has sent heartfelt messages to the German tactician and the defender as they reach new ages

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has celebrated with Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr and Leon Balogun on their birthdays.

Rohr, who was born in Mannheim, Germany, clocks 67 years while West Berlin-born Balogun is celebrating his 32nd birthday.

The German tactician enjoyed success as player and coach, having started his playing career with VfL Neckarau. He went on to play for Bayern Munich, Waldhof Mannheim, Kickers Offenbach and Bordeaux before his retirement.

Rohr started his coaching career with his former club the Girondins in 1990, he later served as the manager of Creteil, Nice, Young Boys, Ajaccio, Etoile Sahel and Nantes.

In 2010 he was appointed as coach of Gabon before coaching Niger, spending two years with the East Africans before signing for Burkina Faso in 2015.

Rohr has been in charge of the Super Eagles since 2016 and has been impressive enough to continue his stay with the West Africans until 2022.

The German tactician qualified Nigeria to the 2018 World Cup in Russia with ease and guided the side to finish third at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

The NFF has taken to social media to send their birthday wishes to Rohr and Balogun, who has 32 caps for the Super Eagles.

Balogun, a Hertha and Hertha Zehlendorf academy graduate, was born to a Nigerian father and German mother, and pledged his allegiance to Nigeria in 2014, making his debut against Mexico.

The centre-back has spent the majority of his career in Germany playing for Turkiyemspor Berlin, Hannover 96, Werder Bremen, Fortuna Düsseldorf, Darmstadt 98 and Mainz.

He moved to England in the summer of 2018, joining Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion but his failure to enjoy sufficient game time forced him to leave the side to team up with Wigan Athletic permanently in 2020, where he has continued to deliver solid defensive performances.

At Wigan and Mainz he featured in 52 league games before leaving for Brighton.