Finidi George Relieved Of His Duty As NFF Set To Hire Foreign Coach For The Super Eagles.

• The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has decided to relieve Finidi George off his duties as Nigeria's Super Eagles Head Coach after less than two months in charge.

• This comes following  poor results in the CAF 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

• The three-time African champions have failed to win a single match out of four games in the qualification series, the worst being a shocking loss to the lowly Benin Republic in their last clash in Abidjan on Monday evening. 

• The defeat leaves the Super Eagles with a disappointing three points out of a potential 12, following a string of draws in their opening three matches against Lesotho, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

After a board meeting in Abuja on Wednesday 12th June, 2024, the NFF has further resolved to employ a foreign expatriate Technical Adviser for the Super Eagles ahead of the AFCON qualifiers and the remaining 2026 World Cup qualifying matches.

Nigeria's next World Cup qualifier will be against Rwanda in March 2025.

Finidi will however continue with the technical team just as he did under previous manager Jose Peseiro at the African Cup of Nations 2024.

The former international was appointed as new head coach of the Nigerian men national team on April 29, 2024.

The NFF has also lashed out at the lackadaisical attitude of some of the players and as such resolved to widen the net for more players in order to push aside the arrogance of some of the players.

Here is the official statement consigning the decision from NFF;

"1) The Executive Committee wholeheartedly apologized to Nigerians for the dismal output and subsequent very poor returns of the Senior Men National Team, Super Eagles, in four out of 10 matches in the ongoing qualification series for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, and pledged to work assiduously and put necessary measures in place to ensure a better-prepared squad ahead of the AFCON 2025 qualifiers in September this year and the resumption of the World Cup qualifiers in March 2025.

2) Further to (1) above, the Executive Committee resolved to employ an expatriate Technical Adviser for the Super Eagles in the coming weeks, ahead of the AFCON qualifiers and the remaining FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.

3) Still further to (1) above, the Committee resolved to beef up the NFF Technical Department with more qualitative hands. Equally, the Technical and Development Sub-Committee will be re-jigged with immediate effect.

4) Notwithstanding the challenges that attended the team’s preparations for the Day 3 and Day 4 games of the FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, owing to a 38-hour nationwide industrial action, the Board expressed displeasure with the poor attitude of some of the players to the National Assignment, and unanimously decided in favour of a more robust scouting programme of outstanding Nigeria-eligible players from across the four corners of the universe, who can add tremendous value to the nation’s flagship team."

Portuguese coach, António Conceição da Silva Oliveira in reportedly pole position to land the Super Eagles Technical Adviser job according to the NFF.

He led Cameroon to third place finish at the 2021 AFCON.

Nigeria still have six more games to go in the World Cup qualifying series and are four points behind Group C leaders, South Africa, Benin, and Rwanda who a have seven points each, the Lesotho in fourth with 5 points, Nigeria 3 points, and Zimbabwe in bottom with 2 points.

Away from the Super Eagles, the football body promised to support the Super Falcons in their preparations for the Olympics taking place in France from 24th July – 11th August.