By Daily Sports Nigeria on April 29, 2024
The Nigeria Football Federation has appointed former Super Eagles winger Finidi George as the new head coach of the nation’s senior men’s national team.
The announcement came in a statement on Monday, with the NFF Board approving 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.
Finidi George, who spent 20 months as an assistant to the outgoing José Santos Peseiro, had been serving as the interim coach after the Portuguese tactician’s departure following the Super Eagles’ impressive run to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.
During his interim tenure, George oversaw two friendly matches in Morocco last month, where the team ended an 18-year winless streak against Ghana with a 2-1 victory before suffering a 0-2 loss to Mali.
“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 NFF statement read.
Reflecting on his illustrious playing career, the statement highlighted George’s 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.
The new Super Eagles boss’s immediate task will be to guide the team to victory in two crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and the Benin Republic in Uyo and Abidjan, respectively, within the next five weeks.
The NFF statement emphasised that “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.”
Source Punch Ng
Posted April 29, 2024
You may also like...
Greenwood Saga: Ten Hag warns Man Utd against...
Australian Open: Nadal defeats Draper, reaches round two...
SPORTS BANTER debuts today on News Express Nigeria...
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call!
Jermall Charlo sends warning to Alvarez
Joshua, Pulev Fight Set For London Dec. 12...
Awori Unity Cup Kicks Off With Royal Splendour
Assault: NPFL fan gets three-month sentence
Nigeria names squad for U-18, U-20 zonal handball champs
Flamingos target big win against Algeria
Itauma: Nigerian-blooded heavyweight phenom poised to inherit Tyson’s throne
At 25th Edelman Trust Barometer Launch, African Public Relations Association Hails Partnership With Edelman
Enugu To Immortalize Christian Chukwu As Gov Mbah Visits Family
Nigeria boosts flag football participation
Aruna’s loss seals World Cup heartbreak for Africa
NSC lauds Team Nigeria’s feat at ITTF world tourney
Fed Cup: Rangers knock out Insurance in Lagos
NOC To Hold Advanced Management Course In Ibadan
Most Read
Rangers International going, going . . . (55,428 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,567 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,579 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (44,222 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (44,188 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (44,184 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (43,991 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,535 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,636 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,280 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,719 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (39,140 views)