After Unveiling, Tough W/Cup Qualification Battles Await Finidi

For football crazy Nigerians, the unveiling of former Super Eagles winger, Finidi George as Chief Coach of men’s national team, comes with a mixed sense of relief and tension. Finally, the much anticipated task of filling the role of Super Eagles gaffer has been ticked off. But there remains the bigger task of ensuring the newly appointed Chief Coach gets the required support to propel the Super Eagles to book their place at the 2026 World Cup to be hosted in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

At the unveiling of the Eagles tactician, the Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, sought to bolster confidence by voicing pride in the move to appoint an indigenous coach. This messaging from the topmost level of the sports bureaucracy, points to what appears like the readiness to build an optimistic air as the Super Eagles prepare to arrive for camping on June 1 in readiness for the World Cup qualifiers against arch-rivals, South Africa, and Benin Republic.

Enoh said: “Any country I find an indigenous coach sitting on the bench, I always feel very proud and I am glad that we have an opportunity that have a Nigerian coach, Finidi George, as football men national team coach,” Enoh said during the unveiling.

The former Real Betis winger was appointed permanently after the departure of the Portuguese gaffer Jose Peseiro. He assisted Peseiro at the last African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast where the team finished second place.

His predecessor, Jose Peseiro, guided Nigeria to a second-place finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.  Finidi has his work cut out for him. With the disaster of Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Finidi’s football mad countrymen and women will want no such ill fate on the road to Canada, Mexico and the USA.

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Finidi, notwithstanding the challenge of late preparations would have no room for excuses as he seeks to reset Nigeria’s shaky start in the race for the World Cup ticket. The Super Eagles qualifying campaign started off with lacklustre results, as they earned just two points from their first two group matches. In Group C, where only the group leader secures a direct spot, Nigeria currently trails behind Rwanda and South Africa, emphasizing the need for significant improvement in performance.

With the task at hand, the 53-year-old Rivers-born tactician has a crucial role to play. In June, he will be presented with the opportunity to make a mark by instilling a new offensive playing style, which should propel Nigeria to victories over South Africa and Benin Republic.” Even so, these impending footballing battles are deemed ‘must-win,’ given how critical the contests would be in shaping the team’s path to qualification.

The following fixtures against Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho, as well as return matches against South Africa and Benin Republic, will carry significant weight. Apart from the race for World Cup qualification, there is the 2025 African Cup of Nations, which promises to be a battle royale, with champions Ivory Coast, Egypt, Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal, and hosts Morocco all vying for glory.

With Finidi in charge, players from the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) would be buzzing with excitement and plenty of expectations. Unlike his predecessor, Finidi – who coached Enyimba FC – has a keen eye on domestic talents. Nonetheless, the provisional squad list released for camping in June indicates the dominance of Europe based stars.

Nigerian fans are clamouring to see exciting youngsters in the domestic league break into the Super Eagles, and Finidi will be tasked with the responsibility of effectively integrating them. During his illustrious career, Finidi George earned 62 caps for Nigeria, showcasing his talent on the international stage. He played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s campaigns at the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup finals, leaving a lasting impact with his performances. As the former fast paced Super Eagle begins his reign as gaffer, the weight of the expectations of over 200million vociferous fans would be on his shoulders.