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Legendary Nigerian footballer Segun Odegbami has advised Super Eagles head coach Finidi George to develop his own playing philosophy rather than trying to emulate former coach Jose Peseiro.
Peseiro was known for his defensive approach that made the Super Eagles hard to defeat, but it didn't win over many Nigerian supporters.
During Peseiro’s coaching days, Finidi assisted the Portuguese manager, who led Nigeria to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations championship in Cote d'Ivoire.
The tactics of the Portuguese manager helped the Super Eagles to the final but was not enough to win the trophy, and Odegbami has given Finidi a stern warning to stay off that path.
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11:11 - 08.06.2024
‘I’m not happy’ - Finidi George dissatisfied with Super Eagles display against South Africa
Finidi George, the head coach of the Super Eagles, gave an honest evaluation of his team's performance during Friday's draw with South Africa.
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14:09 - 09.06.2024
Super Eagles: 5 changes Finidi George needs to make against Gernot Rohr's Benin
With Nigeria facing a pivotal World Cup qualifying match against their erstwhile boss, the incumbent Super Eagles trainer could make these alterations after Friday’s 1-1 draw with South Africa.
Odegbami warns Finidi
Odegbami has cautioned Finidi against adopting Peseiro's coaching style, which affected the Super Eagles players at the AFCON.
According to the Vanguard, Odegbami said, “I do not envy Finidi at all. He is sitting on a time bomb even if I firmly believe that he deserves his new position and should be given the chance to garner the needed experience, by winning and losing matches whilst becoming a better coach, and kick-start an era when Nigerians will accept to sink or swim with their indigenous coaches.
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“I listened to Finidi in several interviews. He talked glowingly about his time under Jose Peseiro and gave the man plenty of credit. I hope he is only being diplomatic.
“My humble advice is that he leaves Paseiro completely alone. He should not make Paseiro’s era and ‘success’ at AFCON the barometer, or model, or foundation for his own team.
“The truth is that Peseiro, even during his best moments at AFCON 2023, was never convincing. The Super Eagles were not brilliant. They were lucky.
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“Their performance left 6 Nigerians dead, from anxiety and tension generated by the hypertension-laden style of the team.
Six Nigerians, including Dr Cairo Ojougboh, a former member of the House of Representatives, and Alhaji Ayuba Abdullahi, the deputy bursar of Kwara State University, passed away while watching the Super Eagles grind out wins and draws at the AFCON.
Odegbami continued, “Nigeria was fortunate, riding on the back of, with plenty of luck. She survived and got away with it till the final match.
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“Finidi should approach this assignment with a slate full of his own ideas born of his knowledge, vast experience and deep understanding of Nigerian football and Nigerian footballers. Their effective deployment will make defeating African teams more routine.”
However, Finidi has promised to help the Super Eagles play more offensively during his tenure as head coach.
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