Finidi George appointed new Super Eagles Head Coach
The Nigeria Football Federation’s Board has given its approval to the recommendation made by the Technical and Development Committee to appoint former star winger Finidi George as the Head Coach of the Super Eagles, the Senior Men National Football Team.
George, who previously served as an assistant to José Santos Peseiro for 20 months, took over the team on an interim basis after Peseiro’s departure following their runner-up finish at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire in 2023. During this interim period, George led the squad in two friendly matches held in Morocco last month.
According to the statement released, “The Board of Nigeria Football Federation on Monday approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development Committee to appoint former ace winger Finidi George as Head Coach of the Senior Men National Football Team, Super Eagles.”
“George, who spent 20 months as assistant to José Santos Peseiro before the Portuguese voluntarily left the post following the accomplishment of Africa Cup of Nations runner-up position at Cote d’Ivoire 2023, took charge of the squad in an interim capacity during two friendly matches in Morocco last month.”
“In the first match, his squad secured a 2-1 victory over Ghana, breaking an 18-year winless streak against the Black Stars. However, they faced a defeat of 0-2 against Mali in the second game.”
“George, a member of the renowned ‘Golden Generation’ that triumphed in the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Tunisia and showcased an impressive performance as Nigeria made their debut at the FIFA World Cup finals in the USA the same year, has earned 62 caps for Nigeria. He also represented the country in the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup finals, as well as winning medals in the 1992, 1994, 2000, and 2002 AFCON tournaments.”
Reflecting on his successful playing career, the announcement highlighted George’s accomplishments, which consist of “gold, silver, and bronze medals from the 1992, 1994, 2000, and 2002 AFCON tournaments.”
One of George’s standout moments was when he “assisted Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory) in scoring Nigeria’s first-ever FIFA World Cup goal against Bulgaria in Dallas, USA on 19th June 1994,” as mentioned in the statement.
Finidi George is a well-known figure among Nigerian football enthusiasts, and his fame grew when he was named head coach of the Enyimba International Football Club in September 2021. His profile rose further when he led the local team to victory in the Nigeria Premier League last season.
The new Super Eagles manager’s immediate objective will be to lead the team to success in two crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and the Benin Republic in Uyo and Abidjan, respectively, over the next five weeks.
The NFF statement stressed that “the matches are crucial, with the Super Eagles currently in third place in Group C of the African campaign behind Rwanda and South Africa.”
