Gernot Rohr confirms his interest in the vacant Eagles managerial position

Ex-Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr has expressed his interest in taking over as the Eagles of Mali coach. Mali are currently without a manager after sacking former coach Mohamed Magassouba following the team's failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. 

And with the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers set for a June start, the Eagles are looking for a coach to lead their team through a group that has the Gambia, Congo and South Sudan. 

The Mali Football Federation (MFF) has drawn up a list of shortlisted candidates, and one of the names on the list is Rohr. 

The German has now confirmed he would be interested in taking the job, saying he has already spoken to the MFF. 

"Yes, they [The MFF] contacted me indeed, Rohr told Bein Sports as per Europe 1. 

It's a good team, which made an unfortunate CAN and which is also eliminated from the World Cup. 

I saw the two play-offs against Tunisia. They could have qualified. 

"They have very good players, it's an interesting team," he added. 

Should Rohr get the job, it would be an immediate return to national team management in Africa. The ex-Bordeaux coach was previously Nigeria's head coach but was sacked in December. 

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Rohr managed Nigeria for over five years, leading the team to the 2018 World Cup and a third-place finish at the 2019 AFCON. The Super Eagles also qualified for the 2021 AFCON under his watch, but he never got the chance to lead the team to the tournament. 

Before his spell with Nigeria, Rohr also managed African countries like Burkina Faso, Niger and Gabon.