Super Eagles head coach, Finidi George, has resigned after two poor outings in two two games in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Straightnews learnt that Finidi took the decision on Saturday, days after the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, announced moves to bring in a foreign technical adviser.
His exit was confirmed by former Eagles media officer, Toyin Ibitoye, on his X account.
Ibitoye wrote: “News just in: Finidi George @FinidiGeorge_FG has resigned from his @NGSuperEagles manager position.”
Finidi was only appointed on April 29, 2024, to replace Jose Peseiro, whose contract expired in February.
However, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is yet to react to this development.
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George led the Eagles to a 1-1 draw against South Africa at home in Uyo and a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in Abidjan, putting Nigeria’s qualification to the World Cup in serious doubt.
The two results extended Nigeria’s winless run in the qualifiers having previously played two draws under former coach Jose Peseiro.
Nigeria is now 5th above only Zimbabwe in the Group C qualification lot for the 2026 World Cup.
Following the poor performance of the Nigerian team in the two games under George, there were several calls from the fans for his sack.
Hiring ‘expatriate’ technical adviser
Faced with the potential of missing out on another World Cup after the failure of Qatar 2022, the NFF and the Sports Minister had an emergency meeting with George after the South Africa and Benin Republic games.
After the meeting, the nation’s football-governing body spared George but revealed that it will hire an expatriate technical adviser for the Super Eagles.
It was, however, unclear what role George will play in the Super Eagles going forward.
“The Executive Committee of Nigeria Football Federation held a meeting on Wednesday, 12th June 2024 in hybrid mode to deliberate on important issues in Nigeria Football and resolved as follows:
“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,” the NFF said.
“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.”
Succeeding Peseiro
Portuguese tactician Jose Peseiro took a walk from the Super Eagles team following the expiration of his contract with the NFF at the end of the 2023 Nation’s Cup in Ivory Coast where the team lost to the host in the final.
Peseiro’s departure left a vacancy which the Federation, after several weeks filled with George, who served as assistant to the Portuguese for 20 months.
The announcement of his appointment in April signaled Nigeria’s return to an indigenous coach which many had clamoured for.
Before his appointment as the substantive head coach, George who was also serving as the head coach of Nigerian league side, Enyimba had taken charge of the squad in an interim capacity during two friendly matches in Morocco in March.
He led the team to edge Ghana 2-1 in the first match, ending an 18-year winless streak against the Black Stars, but then lost 0-2 to Mali in the second game.
The friendly victory against Ghana ended up being the only victory recorded by George in his four games while in charge of the Super Eagles. He recorded two losses against Mali and Benin Republic and one draw against South Africa.
An ex-Eagle
George played for the Nigerian national team, winning 62 caps for the country as a player.
He was a member of the Nigerian golden generation that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Tunisia and emerged as the second most entertaining team in Nigeria’s debut at the FIFA World Cup finals in the USA the same year.
He also won gold, silver, and bronze medals from the 1992, 1994, 2000, and 2002 AFCON tournaments.
The 52-year-old former Ajax Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and Real Betis (Spain) forward, who made a scoring debut for the fatherland in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Burkina Faso at the National Stadium, Lagos on 27th July 1991, also featured for Calabar Rovers and Sharks FC in the domestic scene before heading to Europe.
Why Troost-Ekong was not involved- Finidi
Super Eagles vice-captain William Troost-Ekong will not be involved when Nigeria face South Africa and the Benin Republic in crucial World Cup qualifiers next month.
The PAOK defender was not included in the Super Eagles’ 23-man squad released to the public by the Nigeria Football Federation on Friday, May 24.
Head coach Finidi George is right not to invite William Troost-Ekong for the qualifiers because the Super Eagles star has not played a single match in over three months.
Troost-Ekong was the Best Player at the Africa Cup of Nations where he scored three goals to help Nigeria reach the finals. However, the 30-year-old played half of the Super Eagles games at that tournament with injury.
He returned to his Greek club to discover that his injury was more severe than earlier diagnosed and he would require surgery.
Barely two weeks after the end of the AFCON, the PAOK defender had surgery in Finland to repair a ruptured biceps femoris in his right leg. He was expected to miss the rest of the season for club, and definitely for country.
Troost-Ekong slowly worked his way back from the sidelines and early this month he finally joined PAOK in full training.
I have lost respect for Finidi, says Osimhen
Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, has lashed out at coach Finidi George, stating that he has lost respect for him, over some comments on his attitude towards the national team.
Finidi, who is said to have also resigned as the head coach of the Super Eagles on Saturday, was quoted to have said he can’t beg Osimhen to play for the national team after the player withdrew from their last two 2026 World Cup qualifiers due to injury.
The striker was said to have been ruled out by a four-week injury and was replaced by Enugu Rangers defender, Kenneth Igboke.
But following the Super Eagles wobbling performances against South Africa and Benin Republic, the narrative of Osimhen’s absence changed as an online medium (not The PUNCH) reported that Finidi used Osimhen’s absence as a poser for the players’ bad attitude towards the national team when he and the Nigeria Football Federation chiefs met with the Sports Minister, John Enoh, in Abuja on Wednesday.
Osimhen was apparently infuriated by the comments and, in a live Instagram video on Saturday opened up on the circumstances that led to his withdrawal from the Super Eagles last two World Cup qualifiers, adding that Finidi was adequately briefed by him and his doctor.
“I knew things like these would happen and that’s why I have the videos and screenshots of when I called Finidi while I was with the doctor in Germany,” Osimhen said.
“I got injured in our (Napoli’s) last game against Lecce and I went to the MRI scan. And I called Finidi there for him to listen to the doctor too.
“I called him (Finidi) and asked him to allow me to come to the camp to be with the boys and I spoke to some of my teammates too but he said I have to be with my family.
“I’m not addressing anything, everybody knows I play my heart out whenever I’m playing for the club or national team. I’ll share the screenshot and videos of my conversation with Finidi for the sake of those believing what Finidi said.
“I’ve lost respect for that man because before I disrespect anybody, I always respect them,” the player added.
