The Nigeria Football Federation NFF, opens up on why it appointed Finidi George as the new coach of the Super Eagles, npflupdates.com reports.
According to Victor Ikpeba, a member of the NFF technical committee, financial constraints was part of the reasons why the federation appointed a local coach.
Recall, the federation threw open Super Eagles vacant coaching position following the exit of José Peseiro post 2023 AFCON. And it was reported that at least 60 mangers(including foreigners) applied for the vacant position.
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Few weeks ago, it was widely speculated that the position may Likely be occupied by a former Indomitable Lions of Cameroon manager Antonio Conçeicão.
However, the NFF last Monday announced Finidi as the new coach.
What the NFF said about Finidi George’s appointment as Super Eagles coach
“Firstly, I want to congratulate Finidi George on his appointment as the Super Eagles coach. However, it was a difficult task because we initially wanted a foreign manager. However, we settled for Finidi because of the finances. It’s not like we don’t have confidence in our own coaches back home. We thought there should be continuity in the way Peseiro took the team to the final of the 2023 AFCON,” the former Borussia Dortmund man and a member of the NFF technical committee said in quotes revealed by Complete Sports.
Ikpeba revealed that the Federation could have opted for a foreign coach. But they chose to side with the plea of the Nigerian fans who wanted a local coach.
“So, eventually, we were guided by the NFF President to look inward. It’s not that we can’t afford a foreign manager, but Nigerians back home want a Nigerian coach, and that is what we have now,” the former Monaco forward admitted.
Ikpeba, further highlighted the significance of integrating players from the Nigeria Premier Football League NPFL into the national team. A move which was largely overlooked by previous coaches.
According to the 1996 Olympics gold medalist, Finidi being actively involved in the NPFL, knows best how to harness local talents.
“Being actively involved in Nigerian football, Finidi understands the local talent pool,” Ikpeba said on SuperSport programme, Monday Night Football.
“As the coach of NPFL champions Enyimba, he’s in touch with the domestic scene and will provide opportunities for homegrown talents, just as he once emerged as a star player himself.”
“In the upcoming matches against South Africa and Benin in June, Nigeria faces crucial fixtures that could define our World Cup aspirations,” Ikpeba said.
“We find ourselves in a challenging position having drawn our initial qualifiers, so securing victories in the upcoming games is imperative. With the talents at our disposal, if Finidi can extract the best from the players, qualification is within our reach.”
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The Super Eagles are set to face South Africa on June 7 in Uyo, followed by a clash against Benin in Abidjan two days later.
It’s important to note that these matches carry immense importance in determining Nigeria’s path to World Cup qualification.
Nigeria is currently third in their group behind Rwanda and South Africa.
