Super Eagles interim coach and Enyimba manager, Finidi George was born on April 15, 1971 in Port Harcourt and he is celebrating his 53rd birthday today in the city of Aba.
The 53-year-old formerly served as Nigeria’s assistant coach before taking over as interim head coach in March 2024, following the departure of Jose Peseiro.
George was part of the Super Eagles team that claimed bronze at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and he led the country to a 2-1 friendly win against Ghana and a 2-0 loss to Mali in the March international window.
In celebration of his new year of life, Afrosport delves into George’s remarkable career as a player and coach.
1 – Finidi George won his first and only title as a coach in the Nigeria Premier Football League with Enyimba in June 2023
1 – He was appointed Director of International Football at Real Betis after playing for the club for four years.
2 – Finidi George played in the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups with Nigeria
3 – He won three consecutive Dutch Eredivisie titles with Ajax Amsterdam from 1994 to 1996.
4 – He played across four editions of the Africa Cup of Nations and finished on the podium in each of them. (1992 – third place, 1994 – winner, 2000 – runner-up, 2002 – third place).
5 – The Ajax legend had five goal contributions in 20 UEFA Champions League appearances – two goals, three assists
6 – He scored six goals in the Premier League with Ipswich Town
7 – George played for eight clubs in his playing career from 1989 to 2004 (Calabar Rovers, Iwuanyanwu Nationale – Heartland FC, Sharks FC, Ajax, Real Betis, Mallorca, Ipswich Town).
7 – He wore the number 7 shirt throughout his entire career with Nigeria on the international scene.
8 – He had his most successful stint at Ajax, winning eight titles – three Eredivisie honours, two Johan Cyruff Shield, one UEFA Champions League trophy, one UEFA Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup.
43 – The former Real Betis and Mallorca forward scored a total of 43 goals in 175 La Liga games.
0 – Despite his illustrious football career which attracted transfer interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid, Finidi George was never nominated for the CAF African Footballer of the Year.
