Finidi George Appointed as New Super Eagles Manager

Finidi George has been named as the new head coach of the Nigerian national football team, the Super Eagles, taking over from Jose Peseiro.

The 53-year-old, who also serves as the coach of Enyimba, was appointed on an interim basis after Peseiro’s departure following Nigeria’s loss to Ivory Coast in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final in February.

Having overseen two friendly matches last month, where Nigeria defeated Ghana 2-1 but lost 2-0 to Mali, George’s appointment was confirmed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Monday. The decision came following the approval of a recommendation from the NFF’s technical and development committee.

A former winger for Ajax and Real Betis, George spent 20 months as Peseiro’s assistant. He led Enyimba to the Nigerian title last year and is expected to continue managing the club until the end of the season.

With six goals in 62 international appearances for Nigeria, George was part of the ‘Golden Generation’ that won the Nations Cup in 1994. He also represented Nigeria at the Fifa World Cup for the first time that same year in the USA.

George’s immediate focus will be on Nigeria’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers in June 2024, where they face South Africa and Benin. The NFF has labeled these matches as “must-win encounters” as Nigeria seeks to revive its campaign after drawing its first two games in Group C.

George reportedly emerged as the top choice for the coaching role, beating out competition from former Super Eagles teammate Emmanuel Amuneke and Spaniard Domenec Torrent, who previously worked as an analyst and coach for Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

The length of George’s contract with the NFF has not been disclosed.