NFF expected to unveil Finidi's successor as Super Eagles head coach in Abuja next week

NIGERIAN Football Federation (NFF) officials are set to unveil the new Super Eagles head coach next week having drawn up a shortlist of three with the new national team helmsman due to be announced in Abuja.

Last week, Super Eagles head coach Finidi George resigned after 42 days in charge of the job that saw him get just one point from six in World Cup qualifiers. During Finidi's disastrous short tenure, the Eagles drew 1-1 with South Africa at home and lost 1-2 away to Benin Republic, putting the country's qualification for the 2026 World Cup in jeopardy.

With Nigeria facing the prospect of missing out on two successive World Cups, the NFF decided to appoint a foreign technical adviser to handle the team for the rest of the qualifiers. Earlier this week, Finidi resigned after hearing about this, saying he was not informed about the decision by the NFF and nobody called him to let him know what had been decided.

Finidi, a former Super Eagles international was assistant coach to Jose Peseiro at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations held in Ivory Coast between January and February this year. After Mr Peseiro left following the expiration of his contract, Finidi was first asked to serve as the team’s caretaker coach for two friendlies in March before the appointment was made permanent.

Things, however, turned sour between Finidi and the NFF after the Super Eagles failed to win any of their two World Cup qualifying games in June. The Super Eagles held South Africa to a 1-1 draw in Uyo before suffering a damaging 2-1 defeat to Benin Republic in Abidjan to leave Nigeria’s qualification hopes hanging by a thread.

After a meeting with the sports minister, the NFF changed plans and decided to bring in a foreign technical adviser to be Finidi’s boss going forward.  Nigeria’s Super Eagles have three points from their first four World Cup qualifiers and may need to win the remaining six games to reach the next World Cup to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Embattled Cameroonian coach Marc Brys is reportedly at the top of the list of those the NFF wants to appoint to the job. Portuguese gaffer Antonio Conceicao and Pep Guardiola’s former right-hand man Domènec Torrent were among those the NFF considered before settling for Finidi but for now, the federation is keeping mum on who it has decided upon.