The Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) board has approved the Technical and Development Committee’s recommendation to appoint Finidi George as the Super Eagles’ head coach.
George, who served as coach José Santos Peseiro’s assistant for 20 months before the Portuguese resigned after finishing second in the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire 2023, took charge of the squad in an interim capacity during two friendly matches in Morocco last month.
His team defeated Ghana 2-1 in the first game, snapping an 18-year losing record against the Black Stars, but lost 0-2 to Mali in the second.
George, a member of the so-called ‘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 United States the same year, has 62 caps for Nigeria and has appeared in the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup finals. He also won gold, silver, and bronze medals at the 1992, 1994, 2000, and 2002 AFCON competitions.
The 52-year-old former Ajax Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and Real Betis (Spain) forward, who scored his first goal for his country in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Burkina Faso at the National Stadium in Lagos on July 27, 1991, also played for Calabar Rovers and Sharks FC before moving to Europe.
He helped Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory) in scoring Nigeria’s first FIFA World Cup goal against Bulgaria on June 19, 1994, in Dallas, USA.
George scored the goal that propelled Nigeria to their FIFA World Cup debut, putting them ahead of hosts Algeria in a key qualifier in Algiers on October 8, 1993. The match eventually ended 1-1, with Nigeria advancing to the finals in America.
George’s immediate goal will be to lead the Super Eagles to success in two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, against South Africa and the Benin Republic, in Uyo and Abidjan, respectively, in just over five weeks.
The matches are must-wins for the Super Eagles, who are now third in Group C of the African tournament, trailing Rwanda and South Africa.
