In some circles, the selection of Finidi George as the new head coach of the Super Eagles came as quite a shock.
It was evident that the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, favored a local coach for the national team.
These appointments often swing back and forth. When a Nigerian coach underperforms with the Eagles, there are calls for a foreign coach, someone with more tactical acumen.
But when a foreign coach fails, like Jose Peseiro did, the narrative changes. The focus shifts to supporting Nigerian coaches, emphasizing their knowledge of the players and the potential talent in the Nigerian Premier Football League, NPFL.
The two leading candidates this time were Finidi George and Emmanuel Amuneke.
Many observers expected the NFF to choose Amuneke.
Amuneke earned praise for leading Nigeria’s U17 team to victory at the FIFA U17 World Cup and qualifying Tanzania for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations after a long absence.
However, his coaching stints with Egypt’s Misr Lel Makkasa and Zambia’s Zanaco were not successful.
Despite his past successes, Amuneke’s recent track record did not impress everyone.
According to Sports Administrator Ayodeji Adegbenro, NFF made the right decision by selecting Finidi.
“Finidi has more experience than Amuneke. He won the league with Enyimba, has two seasons of CAF Champions League experience, and worked closely with Peseiro for 20 months,” Adegbenro explained.
“Amuneke has faced difficulties since his U17 victory in 2015 and his coaching decisions may have contributed to Nigeria missing out on Qatar. He is not fit for the Super Eagles job,” he added.
Many believe that Finidi’s appointment may be a shadow of Peseiro’s era.
Adegbenro questioned this, “If we wanted a reminder of Peseiro through Finidi, why not retain the Portuguese coach in the first place?”
“Peseiro demanded higher pay to stay, which we could not meet. However, between Finidi and Amuneke, Finidi was the better choice,” he concluded.
It’s possible that Amuneke lacked enough support among decision-makers when the choice was made.
Adegbenro narrated an incident where Amuneke’s tactical decisions may have cost the team during a crucial match against Ghana.
Looking ahead, Finidi now shoulders the responsibility of steering Nigeria to the 2026 World Cup qualification.
The three-time African champions currently sit third in Group C behind Rwanda and South Africa.
Their upcoming match will be against Bafana Bafana at home.
“His primary task is to guide the team through the World Cup qualifiers. This is his immediate focus. NFF should offer him adequate support and respect his authority with the players,” Adegbenro emphasized.