Sports minister, John Enoh has expressed his displeasure with the Super Eagles poor performance in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying series.
The Super Eagles fell to a disappointing 2-1 defeat against the Cheetahs of Benin Republic in Abidjan on Monday night.
Finidi George’s side have now recorded three draws and one defeat from four games.
The result leave the Super Eagles with a total of just three points from a possible twelve, of the four games played thus far in their quest to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be jointly hosted by USA, Canada, and Mexico.
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Enoh was disappointed with the outcome of recent outings especially considering the substantial support the NFF has received from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in addition to the kind of open and positive working relationship between the Ministry and the NFF.
“The recent results are unacceptable,” Senator Enoh stated in a press release on Monday night.
“Despite the immense support from President Tinubu and the high expectations of Nigerian football fans, the Super Eagles have underperformed.
“The NFF must provide a comprehensive technical report explaining the reasons behind this poor showing and give cause why there mustn’t be consequences for the disappointment caused both Government and the generality of Nigerians£, the minister’s press release stated.
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33 Comments
Support?
You call pressuring the FA and hiring an unqualified Finidi, support?!
You should be resigning by now, but I don’t expect such from the incompetent. But somebody must be held accountable. If you and Gusua’s board are too shameful to resign. Then Finidi must be the fall guy.
Besides, we don’t need a merry go round technical report that would add up to nothing. The FA should urgently cut ties with Finidi. They should get us a capable foreign coach ASAP. And Mr minister, find the funds for this appointment. It is available. The African game and the world in general have grown beyond the capabilities of these so-called local coaches.
Stop this politics sports Minister. When they requested for a foreign coach, how much support did they get from the government
Foreign coach is not solution but getting the wrong coach is the reason. Finidi is not a coach. Period!
BTW, it’s late now.
When it was early and we were warning you people and, you were supporting local coach why did you not listen. Oga Fans like you are the problem so your block head wants to suggest another Indigenous coach abi? Maybe we should employ Segun Odegbami this time afterall he was a good player which should automatically making him a good coach because he has the Nigerian spirit. Oga Shut up joor you and all your kind. Ode!!!
At long run all you can see that sacking Rohr was a big mistake.
The same Rohr has disgrace you guys.
What about the yeye players that didn’t deliver. is it the NFF that will enter field and play. Abi was the minister blind to see the lackluster display of the players. This is not the first time, summon them too.
The same players that win silver in AFCON shows it is more of a coaching problem and not the boys.
We don’t have a coach!!! To be fair to NFF the Foreign coach they wanted the sports minister did not approve him cos Amuneke has pressured him that he should be appointed.
…As much as ı respect what Rohr achieved with us momentarily and the tremendous job he is doing with Benin right now, it is inconsequential to the level of the Eagles right now. Remember, Rohr moved on and so we did, we got Peseiro, who took us to the AFCON final! This feat is not a distant past, it’s actually this same year 2024. There’s no remorse on my part on letting Rohr go at the time, for most (me included) his firing was justified. And as stated we did good afterwards with Peseiro. I can only wish Rohr well.
Better yet, we should quit blaming the Players. these same set did well under Rohr, and just got to a major final, only losing to the host. Yes, they should take partial accountability, but players play to the instruction of the coach. It’s like vibe. If the coach vibe isn’t right, the players feel it and act accordingly.
The blame lies with these people. the Sports Minister for going against hiring a foreign coach. The Nff boss Gusua and Board for failing in their duties. The advocates for a local coach and their cronies and most definitely, coach George Finidi. They should all be held accountable.
I know my wish of the sports Minister and Gusua resigning wouldn’t happen, but this can be fixed by the sack of Finidi and hiring a capable foreign coach.
God bless you my brother. The best times we have performed well in football we had a foreign coach. No Nigerian coach has qualified the Super Eagles to the world cup.
The records are there.
Yet Nigerians like Segun Odegbami keeps clamouring for local coaches. Shame on him!!! I hope they will not advocate for Amuneke now who has no recent track record of success.
The Suoer Eagles coach is just like the Nigeran Presidents. When one goes and a new one comes,we found out the old one who we didn’t appreciate did far better.
The players have minimal blame,same year they were runner-up in Afcon!
Finidi should go please!
@Eno David “No Nigerian coach has qualified Nigeria to world cup” Really? With this statement I can guess right that you were born after Brazil 2014 world cup.
If that is true ask the older ones they will tell not but two. Stephen Keshi worn Afcon in 2013 and also qualified Nigeria to senior world cup Brazil 2014 where he nearly surpassed Westerhof’s record if not because of this same NFF with players bonuses and Coach salaries they were oweing.
We all know Finidi was not the best indigenous candidate but a product of “settling scores” between the minister and NFF technical board disagreement and here is the result of which his employer knew abinitio.
It can’t be because of this we act as if we have short memories of 2013 and 2014 feat performed by an indigenous coach.
Finidi’s recruitment was not transparent and was born out of corruption and the result we all know.
They are better coaches in Nigeria and if transparent recruitment is done and the same support they give foreign coach is given to the successful local coach the result of 2013 and 2014 by Keshi can be repeated. Moreso Amodu Shuaibu also qualified Nigeria to world cup.
Indigenous coach is not your problem but selection process for the coach and the NFF support!!!!
By the way where is even the money to engaged a foreign coach to share the dollars in this present economy? Even for the imposter foreign coach we don’t have money in this country for that?
I de pay tax and my tax money can’t be used for dollar sharing when Keshi’s type are available in Nigeria that we can afford.
What records? Amount Shuaibu qualified us to the worldcup 2 times, Keshi 1 time. As much as I don’t like most of our current local coaches, we had some good ones like Siasia and Amuneke
What is this foreign coach this and foreign coach that? Is Otto Ado of Ghana not an indigenous coach? We saw clearly that Finidi was not the right candidate and we went ahead and hired him. What happened to the Olofinjanas and Nsiens that we went for Finidi after that disastrous friendly loss to Mali? Please there is nothing like foreign coach because indigenous coaches all.over Africa handling their national teams are doing well. These players are to blame together with Coach Fonidi who obviously isn’t there yet as a coach.
…As much as ı respect what Rohr achieved with us momentarily and the tremendous job he is doing with Benin right now, it is inconsequential to the level of the Eagles right now. Remember, Rohr moved on and so we did, we got Peseiro, who took us to the AFCON final! This feat is not a distant past, it’s actually this same year 2024. There’s no remorse on my part on letting Rohr go at the time, for most (me included) his firing was justified. And as stated we did good afterwards with Peseiro. I can only wish Rohr well.
Better yet, we should quit blaming the Players. these same set did well at the earlier stages under Rohr, took a bronze at an AFCON, and just got to a major final WİTH Peseiro, narrowly losing to the host. Yes, they could take partial accountability, but players play to the instruction of the coach. It’s like vibe. If the coach vibe isn’t right, the players feel it and act accordingly.
The blame lies with these people. the Sports Minister for going against hiring a foreign coach. The Nff boss Gusua and Board for failing in their duties. The advocates for a local coach and their cronies and most definitely, coach George Finidi. They should all be held accountable.
I know my wish of the sports Minister and Gusua resigning wouldn’t happen, but this can be fixed by the sack of Finidi and hiring a capable foreign coach.
yes, it is inconsequential, but it is comparative on a coaching basis. The difference between the two coaches was clear! When Rohr (and Benin Republic) went a goal down; did he panic? Did his team panic and start making useless substitutions? Twice when Finidi’s team were a goal down (against South Africa and against Benin), we saw panic, loss of shape, lack of ideas!
Rohr knew Nigeria on a level that even Finidi doesn’t. Rohr showed he was a master, Finidi was an apprentice.
@ Tristan
off course, it is ludicrous to compare a Finidi to Rohr. there’s no basis for comparison and there is none. Rohr is simply better. Never respected Finidi as a coach. And although unfortunate, he’s vindicated my worries about hiring him or any local coach right.
The inconsequentiality of Rohr in this matter lies in the fact that no matter Rohr’s current success with Benin, we already moved on and did well with Peseiro. The act that led to the consequences we are facing right now is letting Peseiro go and replacing him with a quack like Finidi. I and many, screamed for the hiring of a capable foreign coach, if not, keep hold of Peseiro. Based on availability and interest at the time, I stuck my neck out for the hiring of Pitso or a Conceicao rather over an Amunike, Eguaveon ,any local coaches not to talk of a Finidi.
Respectfully, the main play has nothing to do with Rohr, but everything to do with letting go of Peseiro and failing to hire a capable foreign coach rather picking Finidi, thereby the unfortunate consequence we are facing currently.
God bless you my brother. The best times we have performed well in football we had a foreign coach. No Nigerian coach has qualified the Super Eagles to the world cup.
The records are there.
Yet Nigerians like Segun Odegbami keeps clamouring for local coaches. Shame on him!!! I hope they will not advocate for Amuneke now who has no recent track record of success.
The Super Eagles coach is just like the Nigeran Presidents. When one goes and a new one comes,we found out the old one who we didn’t appreciate did far better.
The players have minimal blame,same year they were runner-up in Afcon!
Lies! Amodu Shuaibu stepped in at some point to rescue to very bad situation and I think he did qualify Nigeria to a world cup if my memory serves me right
so, you think the current local coaches are as capable and experience as Amodu? please spare me.
And yeah, Michael Nsien is coaching under 16s, hardly qualified for the job.
Olofijana, maybe but he is more of a sporting director, hasn’t really be tested as a coach. I think he should take over Eguaveon’s role.
Currently, the best Nigerian out there that could have a honourary mention for the role is Egbo for his exploit in the Albanian league. Though not my preference, his appointment could be understandable.
Just because a native coaches worked in Senegal and Ghana doesn’t mean it will work in Nigeria. different climate and working culture and attitude. At the end, it is down to the character and his qualification, and we simply don’t have that high calibre coach of Nigerian descent right now.
We need breath of fresh air from all the qualms that come with appointing an indigenous coach. It mostly never ends well. let’s come down from our high horse and go for a capable foreign coach. We need a total reset before the next Afcon and world cup qualfying round. We need to act ASAP.
Pinnick Gusua and Sports minister should all leave Nigeria football alone now. All the influential people in Nigeria are proving to be useless by allowing this nonsense to continue. Ndidi and some players should stay away from national team and go continue politics. Nigeria as a country also has poor mindset that is rubbing on every sector as we speak. I will stop following everything Nigeria until they start doing the right thing. I’m done with this disgrace from Nigeria and its evil leaders.
The writing was always on the wall. When Finidi hinted that he wanted to play attractive football en route winning games, alarm bells started ringing. The former Eyimba said he learnt his lessons against South Africa and would start strong. And he did.
Nigeria looked comfortable on the ball, dictated tempo and showed attacking intent. Again, it was one of Finidi’s attacking midfielders that harmed the opponents with an emphatic finish, curiously the same player that replace the midfielder who struck gold against South Africa, injecting a level of consistency into Finidi’s tactical approach.
Things were looking great and Finidi’s detractors were about to eat their words. But, no, those fans who fervently rejected Finidi as Super Eagles coach will have their pound of flesh with fire and fury!
And, do you blame them? In fairness, Finidi underestimated the importance of having players with solid leadership qualities on and off the pitch. Leon Balogun, William Troost-Ekong were available but instead the defense was entrusted to Ajayi, Bassey and Tanimu making the entire defensive infrastructure rudderless!
After the game against South Africa, which I thoroughly enjoyed for its entertainment value, I noted that the Super Eagles looked disjointed and lacked organisation particularly at the back. I felt Finidi overestimated his own abilities in trying to succeed with a vibrant style of football that failed Eguavoen and led to Peseiro and Rohr changing course to a more pragmatic approach.
Let’s face it, it is near impossible to get the Super Eagles, this Super Eagles, to play an attractive brand of football consistently.
Bassey plays in the English Premier League. How come he wasn’t alive to the danger posed by the Benin player lurking in the shadows? Who else could have shown leadership to alert him to that danger, Ajayi or Tanimu?
Finidi adopted a zonal marking arrangement which almost lead to a goal earlier in the match but will later lead to the kiss of death from Benin for 2:1.
Okay, Finidi was behind, for this second time but this time, he totally capitulated, dismantling his midfield and reverting to the 4-2-4 that failed Eguavoen and that led us to this point when Peseiro used the same formation to fail against Lesotho and Zimbabwe with 2 lame draws.
So Mr Finidi, you had your backs to the wall and reverted to proven failed strategy. Is that all your could conjure from your bag of coaching tricks?
The match ended 2:1 and the knives were out! Fans rained abuse on Finidi and those who supported him. Those of us who wished him well were not spared from their fury as angry fans took no prisoners in their anger and outburst. And, in truth, I dont blame them. The state of affairs is truly deplorable!
Now the stupid sports ministry are bring their shameless necks out of their wretched hole to complain and demand explanation from NFF. The same NFF who (in fairness to them) had put forward a foreign coach that the sports ministry rejected in favour of another indigenous coach that could have made things far worse than Finidi.
Bunch of jokers!
In 2 world cup qualifying matches, Finidi failed with his fluid and opaque approach. He panicked when he saw failure on the horizon. He showed lack of conviction in his own match day squad selection by returning Bassey and Tanimu to their natural positions when failure was looming. He demonstrated lack of a viable plan b by reverting to a tried and tested failed 4-2-4 approach when push came to shove. He failed to identify and select true leaders on the pitch. He came across as being confused and naive by dumping his own’s attractive football with a whole 40 minutes of football to play – enough time to at least fashion out an equaliser to limit the damage.
Now Nigeria’s world cup qualification hang by a tread of hopelessness – thanks to politics between NFF and sports ministry that produced a mediocre coach who in turn produced mediocre results.
By calling Finidi mediocre, I bear no ill-will. I have always maintained that he was unproven and untested in this level of football but hoped he will somehow rise to the occasion, but instead, he fell like a pack of cards.
In any event, the ball is now in NFF and sports ministry’s hands. All hope is not lost. Nigeria can still finish strongly in this world cup qualification campaign to end up as one 4 best placed runners up for the play offs.
It is even doubtful whether Finidi can even mastermind a second place finish from our group.
Good commentary, I think it is important to highlight that the defense that failed him was the fault of his stupid squad selection. Like you said he had options (Balogun, Troost …) with loads of experience available, yet he refused to call them!
The draw with South Africa made him change substantially from his Frankenstein experiments with player positioning, but he so wanted Tanimu to play that he was prepared to toy with his team by playing Osayi on the left and Tanimu as a fullback. Holding on to one Frankenstein experiment.
Not that this was the principal cause of his downfall, but it displayed a mindset that is typically Nigerian. They would compromise efficiency to accommodate sentiment and politics!
The difference in Chukwueze’s performance between the South Africa and Benin matches was down to midfield and full-back support. The only time he was supported from midfield by Onyedika was when Nigeria scored.
It is not that Nigerians can’t make good coaches it is that the local environment impairs them from a focus on merit.
Tristan,
Attention to detail – non existent
Communication – poor
Concentration – poor
coordination – poor
composure – poor
It’s back to the drawing board.
Deo you have said everything. NFF forced him on Nigerians who have no option than to support him. Only to see him fail I’m sure Amuneke has been vindicated from his ill wishers. Even Yemi of Enyimba did a better job than finidi did in 2years for just 1month. Amuneke was the way forward but idiots who had an agenda need someone they can manipulate and choose Finidi George.
Mr big noise the owner of air peace was the most vocal supporter of local coach. I hope all this corrupt money miss road are happy now with their clueless decision. Imposing a worthless ogogoro drinker on us backfired on them big time. Their agenda was back door sectionalism, but Rohr exposed them today. I’m so happy today these fools ran out of luck today, we told them certain players has no business in this team, but some tribal warlords called us names. Look at the coach players selection , players fielded, then you will know this coach is playing to a script.
ITS AN INSULT TO REFER TO FIDIHE GEORGE AS A COACH. AS FOR THE COMPARISON WITH GERNOT ROHR, SIMPLY, SACRILEGIOUS.
Exactly,the desperation of Amunike through the sports ministry led to the government approval of a local coach,Nff in return gave the job to Finidi instead.
Finidi got the job because Nff wants to get back at Amunike who sabotaged their efforts to get a foreign manager through the sport ministry.
Senator Enoh,
They are all unserious. Including the Sports Minister. The same Minister that insisted on training with the boys like he had nothing else to do, causing undue distraction in camp. Bunch of clowns
And why is nobody talking about the overzealousness of this your low budget enyeama for Benin’s first goal, rushing all the way from his goal like to try to claim a ball still developing at the edge of the penalty box when the defenders still had the time and space to jockey the attacker to a tight angle.
Oh….I forgot, he’s still in the honeymoon phase of his term when a blind eye gets turned to his blunders …LMAOoo
@Drey
The keeper had no fault in that first goal abeg. He came out to see if he could force the Benin player to squander that chance but the player made the best use of his chance.I am sure that if Nwabali hadn’t rushed out to charge the player, you Drey, would have complained too. Free the keeper abeg. He did exactly what any other good goal keeper would have done.
Bro, I didn’t see what the keeper could have done to prevent that Benin’s first goal. I am shocked you spared Bassey’ lethargic defending
Abeg, I watched that game yesterday, just like every person commenting here but i carefully watched events before the Nations cup until now and i will outline areas we got it wrong.
1.Sacking Gernot Rohr was a mistake or was due to the selfishness and corruption in NFF.
2.Sacking Jose Peseiro was the right decision, his coaching style was foreign to what we were used to.
3.The coach selection process was mared with nepotism, padi-padism, if not for position Egbo, Amunieke and Essien applied for, why was it Finidi that was chosen, on what basis?
4.Finidi’s call up list was defective, yes he wanted to keep the core of the team that won silver at the AFCON, However, he left more than half of that team, Osihmen, albeit is injured.
Players like Igho Ogbu, Chidera Ejuke, Chuba Akpom, Jordan Torunigha, should have been be added to this team.
5.Finidi if he will continue as coach, needs help and must admit that, NFF should eitger get him Egbo or Essien. Because, Benin republic changed tactics many times in that game, but our technical bench never noticed it.
Please can Super Eagles still qualify?
I don’t think any amount of help would work with Finidi. At this point we cant qualify, so the best thing is to fire him and appoint a new foreign coach. Adding more Nigerians would bring about power struggles. Remove him entirely is the answer, at least for us to qualify for 2025 Afcon
CS why are you guys hiding my comments