Finidi Steps down as S’Eagles Chief Coach 

  •Osimen blasts former Ajax man

 Femi Solaja

Nigeria’s preparation for the next round of World Cup qualifying tournaments took a fresh dimension yesterday following the resignation of Chief Coach of the Super Eagles Finidi George yesterday morning.

He tendered his letter of resignation to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau.

Finidi was a vibrant right-winger for the Super Eagles in his playing days and won the AFCON 1994 with the national team and the UEFA Champions League and Super Cup with Ajax in 1996.

Finidi took charge of the team on an interim basis for the March International break, guiding the team to a 2-1 win over Ghana, before falling to a 2-0 defeat against Mali in Morocco.

Last month, after a thorough meeting with the NFF, he was appointed to be the head coach of the Super Eagles and was immediately given the sole responsibility of qualifying the team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In two qualifying games, the Super Eagles played a 1-1 draw against South Africa in Uyo, before losing to Gernot Rohr’s Benin Republic in Ivory Coast. The Super Eagles are now fifth in their qualification group with three points from four games.

Hide quoted text

Meanwhile, in what looks like the coach may have lost the dressing room long before he left the post came to the fore later yesterday following a viral video posted by Super Eagles’ arrowhead striker, Victor Osimhen as he called out on the coach who just resigned.

A livid Osimhen in a life post on his Instagram page, said that the erstwhile Nigerian coach lied about him and his commitment to the Super Eagles. He thereafter rained invectives on the coach and those who share the former Super Eagles’ point of view.

He remarked that he got injured in his club’s last Serie A match against Lecce and went to see his doctor.

After the report came out, Osimhen said he called Finidi to inform him of the injury and that he video-recorded the conversation.

 He said he opted to still come to camp, but Finidi refused asking him to stay away and recover. He is however angry that Finidi reportedly doubted his commitment to the Super Eagles.

In the build-up to the match against South Africa in Uyo, the coach had muted the idea of new leadership for the team which many pundits saw as a way to limit the influence of Williams Troost Ekong who was voted the MVP at the last AFCON tournament in Cote D’Ivoire.

Four days ago, the NFF via its official media channel said a foreign Technical Adviser would be employed in the coming days with whom Finidi will have to work following the poor run of the national team in the last few matches.

Rising from a crisis-managing meeting, the NFF announced that it has resolved to employ an expatriate Technical Adviser for the Super Eagles in the coming weeks, ahead of the AFCON qualifiers and the remaining FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.

Also, the NFF resolved to beef up its Technical Department with more qualitative hands. Equally, the Technical and Development Sub-Committee will be re-jigged with immediate effect.

Spain Maul Croatia as Switzerland Beat Hungary

S

pain scored three first-half goals on their way to an emphatic win against Croatia on day two of Euro 2024.

La Roja’s new quick and direct style was too much for perennial tournament overachievers Croatia to handle at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

Zlatko Dalic’s men missed a penalty and had a goal ruled out by VAR seconds apart towards the end of Saturday’s encounter and now have it all to do in Group B.

With half an hour on the clock, Spain took the lead. Croatia’s centre-backs were caught napping, allowing too much space between themselves, and Fabian Ruiz simply passed right through them for Alvaro Morata to chase onto it, and he made no mistake when bearing down on goal.

Croatia, who offered little to that point, sought to find an immediate equaliser. Mateo Kovacic felt empowered to drive past the Spain midfield and let fly from 25 yards, but his strike was easily gathered by goalkeeper Unai Simon.

And Spain punished their opponents back down the other end. Lamine Yamal – the new youngest player in Euros history – did well to bring the ball forward down the right flank before coming back inside, with play eventually worked to Fabian, who danced past Kovacic and Luka Modric before picking out the bottom corner with a piercing shot.

Again Croatia looked to get at La Roja from kick-off, with Marcelo Brozovic this time forcing Simon into a low parry, and Lovro Majer fired the rebound into the side-netting.

Another chance for Croatia went begging when Majer’s cross found Josko Gvardiol at the back post, but his effort slipped through the hands of Simon and behind for a goal kick.

With one final first-half attack, Spain added their third. A short corner routine ended with Lamal crossing in for Dani Carvajal, whose deft touch beat Livakovic at the near post.

In the second half, Spain nearly grabbed a fourth on a swift counter attack, which ended with Pedri slipping through Yamal, who was denied by a fine save down low by Livakovic. From the resulting corner, Yamal’s cross deflected off the thigh of Morata and whistled past the post.

Back down the other end, Spain’s clean sheet was preserved by the skin of their teeth. Kocacic’s cut-back eventually trickled to Josip Stanisic, but Marc Cucurella denied him with a fine block. Ante Budimir and Andrej Kramaric looked to convert the rebound in a goal-mouth scramble, only for Simon to push the ball away to safety.

With Spain in complete control, Croatia stumbled into a penalty. Simon’s poor pass from the back was pounced upon by Majer, and Petkovic was felled by Rodri with the goal gaping. Though Simon saved Petkovic’s initial penalty, Ivan Perisic reacted quickest and squared the rebound back for the Dinamo Zagreb striker to score. However, after a VAR check, Perisic was penalised for encroachment and the goal was chalked off.

Spain’s triumph was confirmed after five minutes of stoppage time – they return to action on Thursday against Italy, while Croatia are back in action on Wednesday against Albania.

Earlier in the day, Switzerland battled their way to victory over Hungary as they made a winning start at Cologne Stadium.

Kwadwo Duah justified his surprise inclusion by boss Murat Yakin as he slotted home his first international goal before Michel Aebischer doubled Switzerland’s lead on the stroke of half-time.

Barnabas Varga gave Hungary hope with 30 minutes left after the striker guided Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai’s brilliantly weighted cross beyond Yann Sommer.

Substitute Breel Embolo clinched the three points in stoppage time with a lovely lobbed finish over Peter Gulacsi.

Scotland remains bottom of Group A after the 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Germany while Switzerland sit second – behind the tournament hosts.

Yakin’s side gained control of the ball from the off and dominated as Hungary created little to nothing in attack during the first 45 minutes.

London-born Duah, who had only played 45 minutes for the Swiss before this game, was slipped in brilliantly by Aebischer before finishing beyond Gulacsi in the 12th minute.

On the stroke of half-time, left-wing back Aebischer cut in on his right foot to expertly place a strike beyond the diving Gulacsi from 20 yards.

In the 63rd minute, Varga missed a gilt-edge chance to halve the deficit as he steered his header wide.

But he responded well, meeting Szoboszlai’s curling ball three minutes later with a deft header to halve the deficit.

Despite being urged on by their fans, the resurgent Hungarians were unable to find an equaliser.

Having only recently returned to action following a cruciate ligament injury, Monaco striker Embolo was introduced off the bench in the 74th minute and pounced on a defensive error to slot home in the third minute of added time and settle the outcome.

The Swiss face Scotland next in Cologne on Wednesday – live on BBC One – while Hungary take on Germany earlier in the day.