Finidi George demoted as NFF eye expatriate coach ahead of 2025 Afcon qualifiers

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

After three points from their first four games in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is looking at appointing an expatriate coach to take charge of Nigeria’s senior men’s national team for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers and the remaining games of the World Cup Qualifiers.

Findi George who took over from Jose Peseiro after the latter led the team to the silver medal at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote D’Ivoire has led the team in four games including two World Cup Qualifiers with a win, a draw, and two losses.

The Executive Committee of the NFF during their recent meeting agreed to get the service of an expatriate coach for the Super Eagles in a bid to avoid a disastrous qualifying campaign.

“The Executive Committee wholeheartedly apologized to Nigerians for the dismal output and subsequent very poor returns of the 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 communique of NFF latest Executive Committee meeting read.

“Further to 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.

“Still further to above, the Committee resolved to beef up the NFF Technical Department with more qualitative hands. Equally, the Technical and Development Sub-Committee will be re-jigged with immediate effect.

“Notwithstanding the challenges that attended the team’s preparations for the Day 3 and Day 4 games of the FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, owing to a 38-hour nationwide industrial action, the Board expressed displeasure with the poor attitude of some of the players to the National Assignment, and unanimously decided in favour of a more robust scouting programme of outstanding Nigeria-eligible players from across the four corners of the universe, who can add tremendous value to the nation’s flagship team.”

With six games remaining in the World Cup qualification series, Nigerians await the decision of the NFF on the choice of an expatriate coach for the national team.

Foreign coaches have taken the team to four out of their six FIFA World Cup appearances with Adegboye Onigbinde (2002) and Late Stephen Keshi (2014) the two Nigerian coaches to have led the Super Eagles to the global football Mundial.

Clemens Westerhof (1994), Bora Militunovic (1998), Berti Vogt (2010), and Gernot Rohr (2018) were the expatriate coaches that have led the team to their previous World Cups.