NFF to Unveil Finidi George as Super Eagles’ Head Coach Today

The Nigeria Football Federation will this morning in Abuja officially unveil Finidi George as the substantive Head Coach of the Super Eagles. 

The 52-year-old spent 20 months as assistant to Portuguese José Peseiro from the summer of 2022, during which the Super Eagles qualified for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and finished as runners up to host Côte d’Ivoire, three months ago.

The former UEFA Champions League winner with Ajax Amsterdam passed up an opportunity to coach a second-tier team in Spain to return to Nigeria and lead two-time CAF Champions League winners Enyimba FC. He won the tough-as-nails Nigeria elite division title with the People’s Elephantin his second season. 

When George formally bowed out of the Aba giants few days ago, Enyimba FC remained in third place on the NPFL log, with 53 points from 32 matches, four adrift of table-toppers Enugu Rangers and three off second-placed Remo Stars.

George, who as a player won 62 caps for Nigeria at senior level, during which he won the Africa Cup of Nations gold, silver and bronze, and played in two FIFA World Cup finals. 

His immediate task now is how to pick maximum points from 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa (home) and Benin Republic (away) in a few weeks.  

Details of the contract are expected to be revealed to know how long Finidi will remain on the job and also if the NFF will accede to his request to bring in foreign assistants amongst his backroom staff.

Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, alongside Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs Tinuke Watti, President of NFF Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau and the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, are among prominent personalities expected at the unveiling.