According to a report by Solidstarnews, Finidi George, a former Nigeria international winger, has been appointed as the new Head Coach of the Senior Men’s National Football Team, the Super Eagles. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced the appointment based on the recommendation of its Technical and Development Committee.
Finidi George had previously served as an assistant to José Santos Peseiro for 20 months before Peseiro left the position voluntarily after the Super Eagles achieved the runner-up position at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire. He recently took charge of the squad as an interim coach during two friendly matches in Morocco last month. The team secured a 2-1 victory against Ghana, breaking an 18-year winless streak against the Black Stars, but suffered a 0-2 defeat to Mali in the second game.
George, a member of the renowned ‘Golden Generation’ that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and impressed in Nigeria’s debut at the FIFA World Cup in the same year, brings significant experience to the role. He represented Nigeria 62 times, including appearances in the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup tournaments, and won medals in the 1992, 1994, 2000, and 2002 AFCON tournaments.
The 52-year-old former Ajax Amsterdam and Real Betis forward had a notable career both domestically and internationally. He played for Calabar Rovers and Sharks FC in Nigeria before moving to Europe. George contributed to Nigeria’s historic FIFA World Cup debut by scoring the goal that secured qualification against Algeria in October 1993. He also assisted Rashidi Yekini in scoring Nigeria’s first-ever World Cup goal against Bulgaria in June 1994.
George’s immediate task as the new Super Eagles Head Coach will be to lead the team to victory in two crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and Benin Republic, scheduled to take place in Uyo and Abidjan respectively, in just over five weeks. These matches are of utmost importance, as the Super Eagles currently sit in third place in Group C of the African campaign, trailing behind Rwanda and South Africa.