It is exactly a month to kick off the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign and Nigeria are yet to confirm a new head coach for the Super Eagles.
Nigeria, in its usual fashion, will make a late appointment for the crucial games against Benin and Rwanda in September.
The last time the West African country found themselves in a similar situation, it took the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) about 33 days to their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June to select a coaching crew.
Finidi George was confirmed as head coach of the three-time African champions on April 29 and presented to the media on May 13, about 20 days before the game against South Africa in Uyo.
The NFF might be comfortable with late appointments of head coaches for national teams but the results affect the entire country, especially millions of football enthusiasts.
Finidi George resigned as Super Eagles coach on June 15 after a turbulent brief stint at the helm to join Rivers United but nothing has been said about the vacant post since the news of his departure.
Prior to his departure, the Nigerian football governing body stated its intention to appoint a foreign technical adviser to oversee Finidi’s role in the Super Eagles but the ambition has turned out to be an empty promise.
With less than 30 days to the opening Group D fixture in the AFCON 2025 qualifiers against Benin in Uyo, has the NFF learnt its lessons from late technical preparations that happened in June?
Former striker Emmanuel Amunike, who was linked with head coach job with Finidi George, has moved on with his career and he has been appointed as coach of Nigeria Premier Football League club, Heartland.
Where will the NFF turn to for the vacant Super Eagles job? Regardless of its financial situation, appointing a foreign coach comes with its own demands and time is clearly running out for the new tactician to settle down and select his squad.
Former Cameroon coach Antonio Conceicao was linked with Nigeria job a few months ago while former France women’s coach and two-time AFCON winning coach, Herve Renard is reportedly a target for the NFF.
After finishing the 2023 AFCON in the Ivory Coast as runners-up, Nigeria are expected to grace the 2025 edition in Morocco as one of the top teams and favourites.
NFF’s inefficiency to appoint a new head coach must therefore not be allowed to dash the hopes of an entire nation.
