The Nigeria Football Federation has revealed the reasoning behind selecting Finidi George to lead the Super Eagles instead of Emmanuel Amuneke or another qualified coach.
Finidi was appointed to replace Jose Peseiro after the AFCON finalist stepped down as the Super Eagles head coach a few months ago.
Most Nigerian football supporters have welcomed Finidi's appointment, viewing him as a deserving successor to José Peseiro.
04:59 - 08.05.2024
AFCON 2023 hero excited by Finidi George's powerful presence and experience
The Super Eagles superstar believes great guy Finidi George is too humble for his achievements as a player and coach.
15:38 - 05.05.2024
Super Eagles' newly appointed head coach Finidi George rejects Amuneke and Amokachi as assistant manager
For the first time since his hiring, Finidi George, the recently appointed head coach of the senior team for Nigeria, will be at odds with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF).
PAY ATTENTION: Join the BETTING PROF WhatsApp channel now
NFF's reason for appointing Finidi
NFF Director of Communications Ademola Olajire claims Finidi was the obvious candidate for the position due to his exceptional coaching resume and prior experience as an assistant coach with the Super Eagles.
According to Hotsports, Olajire said, “I'm not a member of the Technical Committee but I can also look at a lot of positives around Finidi George."
"Finidi George was not only a great football player, he has prepared himself very well and done himself no harm with the laurels he has been able to acquire in his short period as a coach.
"He had the option of remaining in Spain and taking up an appointment with a second tier club but he chose to come back to Nigeria and start with an NPFL club.
"He started with Enyimba. In his second season, he won the league title. It is not easy to win the league title so we must praise him for that and looking at the log now, this is his third season with the team and with four matches to go he's well on the way to retaining the title.
"That is no mean feat and it shows that this is a man who knows what he's doing. Pertaining to the Super Eagles, he worked for twenty months as an assistant with Jose Peseiro, that gives him head start over anybody.
He worked closely with the team, was with the team when they qualified for the AFCON and came second at the AFCON.
"It's natural that someone of this stature, someone who has accomplished these things and who has been very close to the team gets the nod, with the fact that we have only five weeks to to very important matches."
The 1994 AFCON winner will be looking to make his mark and demonstrate that the NFF made the right choice in appointing him as the new head coach.
With just five weeks until the Super Eagles' pivotal matches, the NFF believes Finidi's appointment is the right decision to ensure the team's success.