Finidi George has been confirmed as the permanent head coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Monday after the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) board approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development Committee.
The former Nigeria international, who was a part of Jose Peseiro’s backroom staff after spending 20 months as an assistant, took charge of the Super Eagles as interim head coach during their two friendly matches in Morocco in March.
The 52-year-old led Nigeria to a 2-1 win over Ghana in the first match, ending an 18-year winless run against the Black Stars, before succumbing 2-0 to the Eagles of Mali in their second game.
The ex-Real Betis and Ajax winger was an integral part of the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team, which brought home Nigeria’s second continental title from Tunisia. He also scored the crucial goal that took Nigeria to the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the nation’s first, when he broke the deadlock for the Super Eagles in their 1-1 draw against Algeria in Algiers in 1993.
George was also part of the team that made Nigeria’s debut at the World Cup in the United States in 1994. He won 62 caps for Nigeria, featured at two FIFA World Cup tournaments (1994 and 1997), and claimed gold, silver, and bronze medals for the country across four AFCON tournaments (1992, 1994, 2000 and 2002).
The iconic No. 7, who provided the assist for Rashidi Yekini’s historic goal at the 1994 World Cup in the USA, led Enyimba to triumph in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) in 2023, the club’s ninth league title.
George has his work cut out for him, as he needs to get the Super Eagles back on track in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds. Nigeria are third in Group C with two points from two games, and they will be facing South Africa and Benin Republic in Uyo and Abidjan, respectively, in June.
