Finidi George, the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles, has set his sights on qualifying Nigeria for the 2026 World Cup. George made this clear at his unveiling ceremony, stating that his “immediate task is to qualify Nigeria for the 2026 World Cup”.
George, a former Ajax Amsterdam winger and assistant to former Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro, was appointed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on April 19. He was unveiled alongside his assistant coaches, including Daniel Amokachi, and goalkeeper trainer Olatunji Baruwa.
The new coach stated that his priority is to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup, as well as success in the upcoming AFCON qualifiers. “For me, my first target is to make sure we are in line to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The AFCON qualifiers will also be coming up soon,” George said. “But the major target for me is the two games we have, we will do everything to win against South Africa and Benin Republic. Once we do that, we will have set the tone and we will take it from there.”
George also warned that players will be invited to the Super Eagles based on regular playing time in their clubs and commitment to the national team. “My relationship with the players is very perfect. I will try to improve on my relationship as this will be different. You will not hear any controversy on my relationship,” he assured.
NFF President Ibrahim Gusau assured George of the federation’s support, saying, “We have given our coach the opportunity to choose his assistants. We won’t impose anybody on him. We are going to engage the assistants on a game basis but will pay the head coach a monthly salary. We want to avoid salary issues.”
Sports Minister Sen. John Owan Enoh who noted the importance of supporting indigenous coaches, expressed excitement at having a local coach lead the Super Eagles. “I am honored to be here to witness Finidi George’s unveiling. If you love Nigerian football, you must love and support Finidi George. His success will bring joy to Nigerians.” He said
George’s immediate task is to get the team back on track and secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup, starting with important matches against South Africa and Benin Republic in June.