The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has revealed that Finidi George was appointed as the new Super Eagles coach because of his experience with the team.
After leading Nigeria in two international friendlies in March, Finidi was appointed to replace Jose Peseiro after the AFCON finalist stepped down as the Super Eagles head coach a few months ago.
Revealing what stood out for the ex-Ajax winger, NFF Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, stated that his experience working as an assistant coach to Portuguese manager, Jose Peseiro was crucial
“I’m not a member of the Technical Committee but I can also look at a lot of positives around Finidi George.” Olajire said in a YouTube video shared by Hotsports.
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“Finidi George was not only a great football player, he has prepared himself very well and done himself no harm with the laurels he has been able to acquire in his short period as a coach.
“Pertaining to the Super Eagles, he worked for twenty months as an assistant with Jose Peseiro, that gives him head start over anybody. He worked closely with the team, was with the team when they qualified for the AFCON and came second at the AFCON.
“It’s natural that someone of this stature, someone who has accomplished these things and who has been very close to the team gets the nod, with the fact that we have only five weeks to very important matches,” he said.
He also lauded Finidi’s decision to return to Nigeria and start his coaching career with the Aba Elephants.
“He had the option of remaining in Spain and taking up an appointment with a second tier club but he chose to come back to Nigeria and start with an NPFL club.
“He started with Enyimba. In his second season, he won the league title. It is not easy to win the league title so we must praise him for that and looking at the log now, this is his third season with the team and with four matches to go he’s well on the way to retaining the title.
“That is no mean feat and it shows that this is a man who knows what he’s doing,” he said.
Finidi has his work cut out for him as he is expected to lead the Super Eagles to victories against South Africa in the fast-approaching 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures.
