The Nigeria Football Federation has named former Super Eagles winger Finidi George as the new head coach of the nation’s senior men’s national team, as confirmed in a statement on Monday. The decision was approved by the NFF Board, following the recommendation of its Technical and Development Committee. George, aged 52, a former player for Ajax Amsterdam and Real Betis, had previously served as assistant to outgoing coach José Santos Peseiro for 20 months. He took on the interim role after Peseiro’s departure following the Super Eagles’ impressive performance in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final in Cote d’Ivoire. During his interim tenure, George led the team in two friendly matches in Morocco, securing a historic 2-1 victory against Ghana but also facing a 0-2 loss to Mali.
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The statement highlighted George’s notable playing career, including his involvement in Nigeria’s 1994 Africa Cup of Nations victory and appearances in the FIFA World Cup in 1994 and 1998. His immediate focus will be on guiding the team to success in upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and the Benin Republic. The statement emphasized the importance of these matches, as the Super Eagles currently trail behind in third place in Group C of the African campaign.