Finidi George Unveiled: What are his Three Most Important Super Eagles Objectives?

Despite attaining a respectable Silver Podium finish for Nigeria at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, several stakeholders were disgusted at the brand of football that erstwhile coach Peseiro employed.

Now we have our very own Finidi George in the helm.

He was unveiled today formally as the Super Eagles Head Coach with his curtain raiser being next month’s World Cup qualifiers.

Finidi – i think – has 3 mandates: get results on the pitch; play a vibrant, affluent and appealing brand of football, and incorporate a nominal number of home-base players in the team.

I honestly struggle to see how Finidi will achieve these 3 objectives in tandem: something will have to give.

In the last 10 years, the Super Eagles under Rohr, Eguavoen and Peseiro have played an an entertaining brand of football with Nigeria sporadically. They had often had to sacrifice flair football in the alter of practicality to achieve set goals. The use of home-base players have often been in inconsequential games as they are often jettisoned when serious competitions commenced.

It’s a big ask for Finidi to be expected to succeed in a Colosseum where higher his higher calibre predecessors have all fallen to the swords of difficulties.

Some will say, if he succeeded with Eyimba, how come he will struggle with Nigeria? Club football and National Team football are different kettles of fish.

I wish him well though. I might not be happy with the Appointment but I am very happy for the Appointed. Finidi is a Nigeria legend and a modest and unassuming personality. Prior to getting this plum job, he was never one going to media houses, begging or even demanding to be Super Eagles coach based on his status as a player.

No, he was Assistant Coach of the Super Eagles and when the Sports Ministry decided not to assist the NFF in funding the appointment the a more suitably qualified coach, the NFF turned to their current Assistant Coach to foster continuity. which seems very sensible to me.

It is now up to Finidi to step up to the plate by balancing competing priorities in producing a Super Eagles outfit that we can all be proud of.