By Junaid Abdullahi
Former Nigerian international, Finidi George has emerged as the new Super Eagles coach, stepping up from caretaker role.
The former assistant and caretaker coach of the team got the nod ahead of Emmanuel Amuneke and other foreign coaches.
A statement from the Nigeria Football Federation reads:
“The Board of Nigeria Football Federation on Monday approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development Committee to appoint former ace winger Finidi George as Head Coach of the Senior Men National Football Team, Super Eagles.”
The appointment makes him the 37th coach of the Super Eagles and the 10th Nigerian coach since 1960.
George, who spent 20 months as assistant to José Santos Peseiro before the Portuguese voluntarily left the post following the accomplishment of the Africa Cup of Nations runner-up position at Cote d’Ivoire 2023, took charge of the squad in an interim capacity during two friendly matches in Morocco last month.
His squad edged Ghana 2-1 in the first match, ending an 18-year winless streak against the Black Stars, but then lost 0-2 to Mali in the second game.
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 the USA the same year, won 62 caps for Nigeria, including featuring at the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup finals. He also won gold, silver, and bronze medals from the 1992, 1994, 2000, and 2002 AFCON tournaments.
Finidi is the Enyimba FC coach in the Nigerian Professional Football League. He led the People’s Elephant to their 9th league title last season.
