Gabon boss Rohr winning matches but not fans

Even after qualifying for the last eight of the tournament Gabon are co-hosting with Equatorial Guinea, the Franco-German coach battles for acceptance in a country on the brink of their greatest footballing success.

However, Rohr refused on Saturday to gloat about leading Gabon to arguably their best result - a thrilling 3-2 win over Morocco to secure progress from their first-round group

"I don't feel any vengeance against me but the people are impatient. They didn't really understand we wanted to create a young team that would work together and be united," he said. "Maybe this result has come at the right time."

The dislike of the 53-year-old former Bayern Munich defender who later coached Girondins Bordeaux to the UEFA Cup final seems inexpiable.

He took over as Gabon coach in February 2010 and played only friendly matches to prepare his side for hosting the Nations Cup. His only two competitive matches have both been exciting successes - a defeat of Niger on Monday and Morocco on Friday.

However, when Rohr's image was shown on the large television screen in the Libreville stadium before both matches he was jeered.

After winning against Morocco, the first question he faced in the post-match media conference was from a local journalist wanting to know why the team had not played better and won by a bigger margin.

Rohr dealt with it sarcastically, inviting the reporter to join his coaching staff, before changing his tone and trying to answer seriously, albeit through clenched teeth.

Admittedly Rohr does not have the charisma of other coaches at the Nations Cup, or predecessors in the Gabon job such as World Cup players Jairzinho and Alain Giresse.

However a steely determination has come to the fore amid the animosity, as he defends his choice of players for the tournament.

"We have young players who deserve to be in this team. They are gaining more and more confidence because we have a good blend. There is a fresh new spirit, a cocktail that has produced a good competition for us so far," said Rohr.