By Victor Kanayo
There are strong indications that the incumbent head coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles Finidi George will be demoted to assistant handler of the country’s senior national team.
This followed a decision after an emergency meeting of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to appoint a new expatriate technical adviser for the Super Eagles in few weeks time.
George was appointed less than one month, but has failed to live up to expectations with the turn of results with the Nigerian team.
Upon his appointment as Super Eagles head coach, George never handled any National team in his entire coaching career.
Tough Decisions
However, a communique issued at the end of NFF meeting and made available to Heritage Times HT said, “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.
“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.
“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.”
The NFF executive board also expressed displeasure with some of Super Eagles players ahead of preparations for the Day 3 and Day 4 games of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.
Government’s Charge Amidst Dwindling Fortunes
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has given the NFF leadership an ultimatum to turn things around and ensure that Nigeria qualify for next World Cup.
Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, gave the charge after a meeting with NFF hierarchy in Abuja on Thursday.
The meeting dwelled on various areas including the current coach of the national team, the competence of both the NFF Technical Committee and Technical Department, discipline of players in the national team camp.
The Minister and the NFF also deliberated on the introduction of new crop of Nigerian players wherever they can be found, to ensure the best legs represent the country at every given time.
Expressing the disappointment of Nigerians and the Government over the poor results in the World Cup qualifiers, Senator Enoh highlighted that the country is in a critical situation being placed second from bottom, with just three points from four games out of a possible twelve; a situation he considered outrightly unacceptable.
