By Akinwale Kasali
After several weeks of speculations, the Ibrahim Musa Gusau-led Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, finally named former Super Eagles Winger, Finidi George, as the new Coach of the Super Eagles.
Many had thought that the NFF leadership would appoint another former Super Eagles Winger, Emmanuel Amuneke, as the Coach of the National side, but it dashed the hope of the former Barcelona Football Club player.
The NFF Board, in a statement, approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development Committee to hand over the reins to the 52-year-old former Ajax Amsterdam and Real Betis forward.
George had guided the Super Eagles to its International Friendly matches against the Black Stars of Ghana and the Eagles of Mali in March during which it lost to Mali 2-0 and defeated Ghana 2-1.
He was in the saddle as the Interim Coach, after he spent 20 months as an assistant to José Santos Peseiro, the Portuguese tactician’s departed following the Super Eagles’ impressive run to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.
The NFF statement reads: “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 statement also reflected on the illustrious playing career of George, highlighting his 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.
He will guide the Super Eagles in its forthcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against the Bafana Bafana South Africa and the Squirrels of Benin Republic in Uyo and Abidjan, respectively, within the next five weeks.
