Anita Ogona
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appointed former Super Eagles winger Finidi George as the new head coach of the nation’s senior men’s national team.
The decision was announced in a statement released on Monday, following approval from the NFF Board.
Finidi George, a 52-year-old former Ajax Amsterdam and Real Betis forward, emerged as the preferred choice after the NFF’s Technical and Development Committee recommended his appointment.
He had served as an assistant to outgoing coach José Santos Peseiro for 20 months before taking over as interim coach.
During his interim tenure, George led the team in two friendly matches in Morocco, where they secured a historic victory against Ghana, ending an 18-year winless streak, before succumbing to a defeat against Mali.
“George, a member of the so-styled ‘Golden Generation’ that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Tunisia and emerged as the second most entertaining team in Nigeria’s debut at the FIFA World Cup finals in USA the same year, won 62 caps for Nigeria, including featuring at the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup finals,” the NFF statement read.
Reflecting on his illustrious playing career, the statement highlighted George’s achievements, which include “gold, silver and bronze medals from the 1992, 1994, 2000 and 2002 AFCON tournaments.”
One of George’s most memorable moments came when he “assisted Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory) to score Nigeria’s first-ever FIFA World Cup goal against Bulgaria in Dallas, USA on 19th June 1994,” the statement noted.
The new Super Eagles boss’s immediate task will be to guide the team to victory in two crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and the Benin Republic in Uyo and Abidjan, respectively, within the next five weeks.
The NFF statement emphasized that “the matches are must-win encounters, with the Super Eagles lagging behind in third place in Group C of the African campaign behind Rwanda and South Africa.”
Describing George as a member of the ‘Golden Generation’ that triumphed in the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and shone at the FIFA World Cup finals in the same year, the NFF highlighted his distinguished playing career.
“With 62 caps for Nigeria, including appearances in the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup finals, George brings a wealth of experience to his new role,” the NFF noted.
His immediate task will be to steer the Super Eagles to victory in crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and the Benin Republic.
With the team trailing in third place in Group C of the African campaign, the matches are deemed
must-win encounters.
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