This archive report was first published on 15 July 2019.
July 15, 2019 - Nigeria's coach Gernot Rohr is optimistic about the team's future, despite their semi-final loss to Algeria at the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Super Eagles, who were the youngest team at the 2018 World Cup, were defeated by Algeria in the 95th minute through a magnificent free-kick by Riyad Mahrez.
Rohr described the loss as "tough to digest" for his players but stressed that the current crop of Super Eagles has the potential to become "very good" given time.
"Our team is progressing well after the World Cup which wasn't bad, we've started work with a rejuvenated team. This team has a future. I'm still under contract for another year and we'll see what happens after that," said Rohr.
The team will meet Tunisia in the third-place play-off on Wednesday, which could see young players like Henry Onyekuru, Samuel Kalu, and Victor Osimhen given more playing time.
Rohr praised the resilience shown by his side throughout the tournament, as they responded to a shock loss to Madagascar by toppling defending champions Cameroon and beating South Africa before coming from behind against Algeria.
