Finidi George Appointed as New Head Coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles

The Nigeria Football Federation has made an official announcement, appointing former Super Eagles player Finidi George as the new head coach of the senior men’s national team. This decision came after the NFF Board approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development Committee.

Finidi George, the 52-year-old ex-footballer who previously served as an assistant to the outgoing Jose Santos Peseiro, had been functioning as the interim coach following Peseiro’s departure. Finidi George recently guided the team in two friendly matches against Ghana and Mali in Morocco.

During his interim coaching role, George led the Super Eagles to a significant 2-1 victory over Ghana, ending an 18-year winless streak, before suffering a 0-2 loss to Mali. His background includes an illustrious playing career with clubs like Ajax Amsterdam and Real Betis.

Finidi George is a member of the ‘Golden Generation‘ that achieved success at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Tunisia. He also represented Nigeria in FIFA World Cup tournaments, winning 62 caps for his country. George notably assisted Rashidi Yekini in scoring Nigeria’s first-ever FIFA World Cup goal against Bulgaria in Dallas, USA in 1994.

As the new head coach, Finidi George faces an immediate task of preparing the Super Eagles for crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and the Benin Republic. These matches are scheduled to take place in Uyo and Abidjan, with Nigeria currently behind in the Group C standings, trailing behind countries like Rwanda and South Africa.

The NFF highlighted the importance of these upcoming matches, emphasizing that the Super Eagles must secure victories to advance in the African campaign. Finidi George’s appointment signals a new chapter for Nigerian football, with high hopes pinned on his leadership and coaching abilities to guide the national team to success.