BREAKING: Super Eagles Appoints New Head Coach

In an announcement made by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) this Monday, former Super Eagles winger Finidi George has been named the new head coach for Nigeria’s senior men’s national team.

The decision followed the approval of the NFF Board, who endorsed the recommendation from its Technical and Development Committee to appoint the 52-year-old, marking a new chapter in Nigerian football.

Finidi George steps into the role after serving as an assistant under José Santos Peseiro and subsequently taking over as interim coach when Peseiro left. His tenure as interim coach included leading the team in two friendly matches in Morocco, achieving a historic 2-1 victory over Ghana — ending an 18-year winless streak against them — despite a subsequent 0-2 loss to Mali.

A pivotal figure from the ‘Golden Generation,’ Finidi was part of the team that triumphed at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia and also reached the second round of the FIFA World Cup in the USA the same year. Over his career, he earned 62 caps for Nigeria, playing in both the 1994 and 1998 World Cup finals. His international career highlights include assisting Nigeria’s first-ever FIFA World Cup goal in 1994, scored by Rashidi Yekini against Bulgaria.

Reflecting on his playing days, the NFF highlighted Finidi’s notable achievements, including medals from four AFCON tournaments between 1992 and 2002. As the new head coach, his immediate focus will be on leading the Super Eagles in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic, crucial matches that will be held in Uyo and Abidjan respectively.