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NORTH WEST ZONE PASSES VOTE OF CONFIDENCE ON NFF BOARD

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The North West zone of the Nigerian Football landscape has passed a vote of confidence on the President of Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Melvin Pinnick and members of his Board.

At a meeting in Dutse, Jigawa State at the weekend, the zone pin –pointed quality leadership, steadfastness and achievements of the present NFF administration as grounds for its action.

The zone also congratulated the NFF Board and the Nigerian Football family on the qualification of Nigeria for the 5th African Nations Championship (Morocco 2018) and the 21st FIFA World Cup finals (Russia 2018) and wished both teams good luck at the championships.

The zone’s chieftains also resolved to create more football competitions within the zone and to ensure that players discovered through grassroots programs are monitored and developed to the next level.

It would be recalled that North West’s squad reached the final of the 2017 NFF/Zenith Bank Future Eagles Championship, losing to South East in the final in Lagos on Tuesday.

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Present at the meeting were Alh. Ibrahim Musa Gusau (Chairman of the zone/Chairman, Zamfara State Football Association); Mallam Shehu Dikko (NFF 2nd Vice President/LMC Chairman); Alh. Sharif Rabiu Inuwa (NFF Executive Committee member/Chairman, Kano State FA); Alh. Abubakar C. Ladan (Chairman, Kebbi State FA); Alhaji Bello Seidu (Chairman, Katsina State FA); Alh. Sabo Abdullahi Dutse (Chairman, Jigawa State FA); Alh. Sharreeff A. D. Kassimu (Chairman, Kaduna State FA), Mr. Dahiru Sadi, MFR (President, Players Union) and Dr. Mohammed Sanusi (NFF General Secretary/Committee Secretary). Alh. Mohammed Nasir Saidu, Chairman of Sokoto State FA and Independent Vice Chairman of the Nigeria National League, sent his apologies for being absent.

 

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Nigerian Football

Nigeria’s sports minister, Enoh applauds NFF for ‘buying local material’

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Sports Minister Enoh (left) and NFF President Gusau (right) unveil Finidi.

Nigeria’s Minister of Sports Development, John Owan Enoh on Monday praised the leadership of Nigeria Football Federation for settling for an indigenous Head Coach for the Super Eagles, despite the plethora of foreign tacticians who applied for the job.

Enoh, who spoke at the unveiling ceremony of the Eagles’ new substantive Head Coach, Finidi George at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, charged the NFF to give the former winger all the support to succeed, while also soliciting the support of all Nigerians for the new helmsman.

“As a student of the University of Calabar in those days, I used to go to the UJ Esuene Stadium to watch Calabar Rovers, which included Finidi George. I am excited to see him seated here as the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles.”

President of NFF,  Ibrahim Musa Gusau exuded delight with the ‘new chapter’ the Federation is opening about the Nigeria game, saying the football-governing body is determined to fully support George and his assistants to lead the Super Eagles to new heights.

“When we returned from the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, we began the search for a new Head Coach. There was a plethora of foreign applicants, far more than the indigenous applicants. However, we undertook a thorough process that has produced an indigenous Coach and we are very happy about that. Finidi George was part of the technical crew that came close to winning the AFCON, and we have faith in him that he will lead the team to the title next time.  

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“Our objective now is to ensure the enthronement of excellence at all levels of the National Teams.”

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Nigerian Football

No more bench-warmers in the Super Eagles, says Finidi George

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New man on the managerial saddle of the Super Eagles, Finidi George has stated that  he will invite for international assignments, only players who feature regularly at their clubs either in Nigeria or in the diaspora, and promised that the Super Eagles will remain even more competitive in the years ahead.

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Nigerian Football

Finidi George handed a short-term contract as Nigeria’s 41st coach

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Former Super Eagles’ player Finidi George has been formally presented as the 41st person to ever handle the Nigeria national team.

His unveiling was made at the Media Centre of the Moshood Abiola Media Centre.

However, he was handed a short-term contract as his tenure is programmed to lapse after one year.

In essence, his tenure may lapse on or before the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 which timing has not been ascertained.

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The competition will however hold in Morocco. Also, by May 2025 when the contract will lapse, Nigeria will be looking forward to a potentially dicey Match Day 8 World Cup qualifier against South Africa on 7 September 2025.

 Finidi who had been holding forth since the expiration of the his former boss’ contract  is expected to build on his impressive credentials. Apart from the World Cup and the Olympic Games’ gold medal, he has won other laurels.

 His goal qualified Nigeria for the World Cup for the first time in 1993. In 1994, he scored the goal that pushed Nigeria into the next round before Daniel Amokachi later score the one that shot Nigeria to the top of the group that comprised of Argentina, Bulgaria and Greece.

  His impressive career in the Africa Cup of Nations include three podium finishing as number one in 1994, number two in 2000 and third placed at Senegal ‘92.

He also won the European Champions League with Ajax. He will be striving to take Nigeria back to an enviable height with qualification for the 2026 World Cup and winning of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 in Morocco.

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