Former Super Eagles attacking midfielder, Finidi George will take the reins of the national football team, the
Nigeria Football Federation announced Monday.
Finidi was hired on the recommendation of NFF Technical and Development Committee and would now guide the team through the 2026 World Cup qualifliers to justify his selection.
Finidi who won the the 1994 African Cup of Nations with the Super Eagles was assistant to José Santos Peseiro before the Portuguese left the post at the end of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, where the Super Eagles were runners-up.
Finidi has been running the team on an interim capacity and proved capable during the international friendlies against Ghana and Mali in March.
The Super Eagles beat 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.
Finidi, was a member of the ‘Golden Generation’ that featured in the 1994 World Cup in USA. He played 62 times for Nigeria, including featuring at the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup finals. He made the assist, with which late striker Rashidi Yekini scored an iconic first World Cup goal for Nigeria. He also won gold, silver and bronze medals from the 1992, 1994, 2000 and 2002 AFCON tournaments. During his time he was regarded as one the best wingers in the world.
Finidi won the Euro Champions League with Ajax, he went on to play in Spain Real Betis where fans gave him the alias Finito for his match winning goals and finally Ipswich in English.
He made his debut for the Super Eagles during an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Burkina Faso at the National Stadium, Lagos on 27th July 27th 1991. He starred for Nigerian clubsides Calabar Rovers and Sharks FC before heading to Europe.
Finidi’s immediate task will be to guide the Super Eagles to victory in two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and Benin Republic in Uyo and Abidjan respectively, in a little over five weeks. The matches are must-win encounters, with the Super Eagles lagging behind in third place in Group C of the African campaign behind Rwanda and South Africa.
