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.  

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

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.

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Former Super Eagles’ player Finidi George has been formally presented as the 41^st 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.

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. The World Cup and the Olympic Games’ medal are the only laurels he missed having won others, including the UEFA Champions League.

 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.