Newly appointed Super Eagles head coach Finidi George has been tasked with the responsibility of ensuring the team’s qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Finidi’s appointment was confirmed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Monday.
The Super Eagles are yet record a win in the qualifiers after drawing their opening two games against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
“In the month of June, Nigeria will play the games of their lives against South Africa and Benin,” Ikpeba, a member of the NFF technical committee told SuperSport.
“We are on the back foot after we drew our first two World Cup qualifiers and so we have to win the next games.
Read Also:2026 WCQ: Let’s Rally Round Finidi –Ikpeba Tells Nigerians
“We have the players and if Finidi can get the best out of them, we will qualify for the World Cup.”
IKpeba also said the new coach will also be expected to give players playing their football in Nigeria a more decent chance in the Super Eagles.
“He lives here, he works here (as coach of NPFL champions Enyimba),” he said.
“He will give the local players a chance in his team.
“He will have to look inwards, that’s how we got the player Finidi George.”
22 Comments
Since you decided to hire the cheapest of your options I hope @TheNFF will leave over $5million when leaving office for the next president to inherit. This was the whole plan from Day1 and explains why you even named coaches that you hate on your shortlist just to create confusion and propaganda btw fans. Now we are watching your next line of actions on how you’ll be running Nigerian Football alongside @AmajuPinnick who’s still the Shadow President of NFF.
My advice to Finidi is to stick to the attacking brand of football Nigeria is noted for and not the defensive formation of his former boss Paseiro.
If he receives the needed encouragement from NFF he will succeed.
Please NFF stick to the Uyo stadium for home matches, don’t carry matches to Kano, Kaduna or Abuja. This is serious business, we are talking of world cup qualifiers here nor friendlies.
If Finidi is what Nigeria can offer, so be it. I pray you succeed.
Another advice, some players insulted you during the friendlies with Mali saying you didn’t play them, one of the hallmarks of a good coach is your players having confidence in you. You need to stamp your authority on the players. They need to respect you so they can play their life for you.
Good luck Finidi George.
The truth is that we cannot qualify for the world cup, finidi will play a defensive formation, he has already lost the dressing room, players don’t respect him his player management is poor,I’m sure he will be sacked after we loose to south Africa in Uyo,finidi doesn’t have a mind of his own and he still lives in the shadow of paseiro, playing 5 defenders and not trying out something new.
My brother let’s pray for him. He may not be our best choice but in the present circumstances we have to stick with Finidi with what we have.
Senegal has Cisee, Ivory Coast defeated Nigeria with a local coach so who told you the Super Eagles cannot triumph against South Africa?
Did we die when we didn’t qualify last time and must the Eagles even qualify? The best we should be doing is to admonish the NFF to grant the SE newly appointed coach a four year contract instead of the NFF shouting upandown … George must qualify the SE… How? In only five weeks? Haba! That Nigeria guy should be given a four year contract otherwise, eehn,,,,
Yes. The Eagles must qualify.
As much as I will be happy to see the Eagles play in the World cup, barely a month’s preparation is unreasonable. Finidi needs the support of every right thinking Nigerian win or lose
Many Congrats to Finidi George. After the Announcement I have taken time to read and listen to people who know him up-close. Most of us wanted our own and now that NFF after their Abracadabra selection process came up with Finidi as the best out of the Pack, we all need to support him, including the NFF, so as to make sure we don’t miss a second consecutive World Cup. All hand must be on deck to make sure our own succeeds.
With the World Cup qualifiers in less that 41 days, the first task before Coach Finidi and the NFF is to trash out details about his contract, give him free hand to select his players.
Second, the task of starting in earnest to watch the videos of South Africa and Benin Republic, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses and penning down our best war machinery to prosecute these games.
Based on Current form and Barring injuries, I feel these players can do the job.
Goalkeepers: Maduka Okoye, Stanley Nwabali, Olorunleke Ojo (Arthur Okonkwo should be gradually integrated into this section of the team)
Right Back: Bright Osayi Samuel, Kingsley Ehizibue, Tyronne Ebuehi, Ismail Sodiq
Right Centre Backs- Semi Ajayi, Kenneth Omeruo, Igho Ogbu,(Tosin Adarabioyo should be gradually integrated into this section of the team, Coach; Finidi should go ahead and convince him to come play for us).
Left Centre Backs- Calvin Bassey, Jordan Torunarigha, Gabriel Osho.
Left Backs: Bruno Onyemaechi, Ola Aina, Jamilu Collins. (Destiny Udogie should be gradually integrated into this section of the team, Coach; Finidi should go ahead and convince him to come play for us. I know the Italian Culture, and taking cues from Angelo Ogbonna. I see no future with him in the Italian colours).
Central Defensive Midfield- Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka, Raphael Onyedika, Al Hassan Yusuf.
Attacking Midfield- Alex Iwobi, Chuba Akpom, Fisayo Dele Bashiru, Kelechi Nwakali (Eberechi Eze, should be gradually integrated into this section of the team, Coach; Finidi should go ahead and convince him to come play for us)..
Left Wingers-Ademola Lookman, Chidera Ejuke,
Right Wingers- Nathan Tella, Kelechi Iheanocho, Samuel Chukwueze. (Michael Olise should be gradually integrated into this section of the team, Coach; Finidi should go ahead and convince him to come play for us).
Strikers-Victor Osimhen, Victor Boniface, Paul Onuachu, Cyriel Dessers, Gift Orban, Elijah Adebayo.
From the above list, we have enough quality to qualify for the world cup.
Lol. Destiny Udogie is injured and ruled out for the rest of the season. He is an Italian international and is not interested in playing for Nigeria.
Finidi set to camp eagles in Cote D’Ivoire for the games against south Africa and Benin .. for 10 days before south Africa games .
Again all players and fly the team to uyo 3 days to the game .
The team camp was the one dey used before playing in the final of afcon.
The hotel is near to the stadium
And already the manager has been notified by NFF.
Finidi did not want the team to focus on the matches only as nobody wil be allowed into the team apartment. Except those that are invited. .
There is a standby switch to monitor activities of players within the hotel.
Finidi set to camp eagles in Cote D’Ivoire for the games against south Africa and Benin .. for 10 days before south Africa games .
Again all players and fly the team to uyo 3 days to the game .
The team camp was the one dey used before playing in the final of afcon.
The hotel is near to the stadium
And already the manager has been notified by NFF.
Finidi want the team to focus on the matches only as nobody wil be allowed into the team apartment. Except those that are invited. .
There is a standby switch to monitor activities of players within the hotel.
I think it’s high time we began to look into the qualifiers proper knowing fully well that Nigerian fans aren’t ready to gree for anybody. Coachie, you are put on your toes so hit the ground running, organize your team of assistants, ask DaBull to join, talk to Amuneké and Okocha, tgen call your boys to get ready for it’s for them to qualify and it’s for us, fans to spectatorize unna fir stadium while sum stay glued to their TVs watching dem Odi, Looku Looku, Nachor, Simon, Aina und Tella. Guys how wuna come seeeam?
Nonsense
.. as e dey pain dem.. lwfaoo
I recommend Finidi George to refresh Super Eagles with new faces instead of injured players like Simon Moses, Zaidu Sanusi, he should summon an arrow left footed Moses Usor instead of Moses Simon,and from NPFL, also he should summon Chuba Akpom Ajax attacker , Odion Ighalo to solve SE scoring shortage , he should change SE to a total football style he must defend well and must make attacks chances so tightly.
You drink piss? No be only Odion na akere clowns typing nonsense no wonder politicians are taking you people for granted!!!
hahahahahahaha! Odion ke! Odion Ighalo in 2024, haba!
Sorry for you my dear people of Nigeria. Forget about world cup qualification for now and not even next AFCON. Your leaders consider their pockets first before any other things and it is the masses that will pay for ineptitude from their end. Happy unhappy workers day.
You have a cogent point my brother. The day Nff grants an indigenous coach a four year reign on the pedal, the day we shall expect any WC qualification. The newly Super Eagles, Coach George Finidi would need at least 2years to get a proper team ready to global challenge. The very reason I believed George shouldn’t be judged with the outcomes of next two matches.
Chima E and you are chimpanzee which is stray in the jungle , it hasn’t any place to reside , so it hasn’t any mentality to live ; so I said Ighalo cause he has strong sensibility with the goal scoring , I think he is more finisher than any Super Eagles attacker now , he has scored for SE more and more goals especially in the World Cup qualifier 2018 and AFCON. qualifier 2019 , he has an excellent finishing as you can see his last goals for SE .
And this is 2024! 6 years after all those stories of yours.
This one done ende unna mhééñ, make dem bring another second base oh-jiare.