Reactions As NFF Names Finidi George As Super Eagles Permanent Coach

Mixed reactions have followed the appointment of Finidi George as the Super Eagles of Nigeria’s permanent coach.

Recall that the Super Eagles of Nigeria have been without a permanent coach since February 29, 2024, when the contract of Jose Peseiro expired.

After Peseiro’s contract expired, the NFF appointed Finidi George in the interim. He led Nigeria to play two friendly games, a win against Ghana and a defeat against Mali in March.

The defeat against Mali was expected to influence the NFF not to appoint George in a permanent capacity, but that did not happen. He beat his former teammate on the national team, Emmanuel Amunike, to the job.

Note that before landing the Super Eagles coach, the 51-year-old former Nigeria international was the assistant coach of Jose Peseiro for 20 months while also serving as the head coach of Enyimba.

George’s first job in charge of the Super Eagles is to lead Nigeria against South Africa in Uyo on June 3 and against Benin Republic in Abidjan on June 10 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The games are a must-win for Nigeria who are currently second in Group C behind lowly-rated Rwanda and South Africa.

Reactions Over the Appointment of Finidi George as Super Eagles coach:

Immediately after the news went viral that the NFF had appointed Finidi George as the Super Eagles head coach, football enthusiasts in Nigeria took to their X page to react to the development. Below are some of their reactions:

@oyimzy asked: “Now that Finidi George is the Head Coach of the Super Eagles, what are our chances of making it to the 2026 World Cup ahead of South Africa?”

@bedjosessien said, “Finidi George’s appointment as Nigeria Super Eagles coach is commendable.

“Giving qualified former Internationals an opportunity is the way to go in Africa.”

@IbkSports wrote, “From being an assistant to Jose Peseiro to becoming the Coach of the Super Eagles.

“We will definitely see more NPFL players in the Super Eagles now.

“Congratulations to big coach Finidi George.”

@tommylonge was critical of the appointment as he wrote, “Finidi appointed as Super Eagles coach. This is a disaster, he is too rigid for modern-day football dynamics.”

@NKONO91 was also not happy with the appointment as he wrote, “A very sad day for Super Eagles. He couldn’t win against Mali where Super Eagles lost by 2-0. So so sad.”

@Oladapomikky1 said, “Well, that’s a solid move. Finidi George’s got a good track record; let’s see how he’ll shake things up with the Super Eagles.

“It’s quite surprising that Emmanuel Amunike didn’t get the job despite being announced earlier.”

@ronaldnzimora wrote, “Let’s give Finidi George all the support he needs as the Chief coach of the Super Eagles.”

@kingchyk lamented, “About to waste one of our most talented generation of Super Eagles players on the altar of foolishness and stupid appointments”.

@iamnuel_ wrote, “I’m also hoping he doesn’t populate the team with average players in the name of local content. This is not a development squad, it’s the Super Eagles of Nigeria.”

Also, @Lekebiz324 wrote, “He won’t last. His last two matches in charge of the Super Eagles speak volumes. He has already demonstrated his support for certain players and his opposition to others. I hope he will be able to settle his rift with Sadiq.”