NFF appoints Finidi George as Super Eagles head coach

• The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has officially named former international Finidi George as the Head Coach of the Senior Men National Football Team, the Super Eagles.

This decision comes hot on the heels of the departure of José Santos Peseiro, who led the team to the runner-up position at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire 2023.

George, who previously served as an assistant to Peseiro for 20 months, stepped into the interim role during two recent friendly matches in Morocco.

The results were mixed: a triumphant 2-1 victory over Ghana ended an 18-year winless streak against the Black Stars, but the squad stumbled to a 0-2 loss against Mali in the second game.

A veteran of the game, George boasts an illustrious career, having earned 62 caps for Nigeria.

He was a key player in the 'Golden Generation' that clinched victory at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and made waves at the FIFA World Cup finals in the USA the same year.

George's contributions spanned several tournaments, including the 1992, 1994, 2000, and 2002 AFCON competitions, where he secured gold, silver, and bronze medals.

Starting his journey from the domestic scene with Calabar Rovers and Sharks FC, George soon made his mark in Europe with stints at Ajax Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Real Betis in Spain.

Now, George faces the immediate challenge of guiding the Super Eagles to victory in two crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and the Benin Republic in June.

These matches, set to take place in Uyo and Abidjan, respectively, in a little over five weeks, are must-win encounters for the Super Eagles, which currently trails behind Rwanda and South Africa in Group C of the African qualifying campaign.