“I’m here to make the team win” – George Finidi’s first words as Enyimba’s coach

The Aba Elephants and the Super Eagles legend have finalised agreements and announced the deal that will keep the former Ajax star in charge of the two-time African champions for the foreseeable future

Ex-Nigerian international George Finidi has revealed his desire to return Enyimba international to the pinnacle of football in the country and on the continent after he was unveiled as the team’s head coach. 

Enyimba, on Wednesday morning, confirmed on their official website that Finidi has been appointed the coach of the Aba Elephants.

And the 1995 UEFA Champions League winner with Ajax has expressed his delight at taking one of the top coaching jobs in the country. Speaking to Enyimba’s media immediately after putting pen to paper, Finidi said:

“I have to say it’s a great opportunity for the club to have this confidence in me. I want to thank the chairman, the members of the board, and the supporters for even thinking about me.

“On my own part, I will be here to just work and do the job. It’s never going to be easy, but I’m here to work and make the team win.”

Finidi is replacing coach Fatai Osho who led the Aba Elephants to a second-place finish in the recently concluded 2020-21 season of the Nigeria Professional Football League.

One of the 50-year-old’s first tasks will be to lead Enyimba to the group stages of the CAF Confederations Cup. The People’s Elephants face Senegal’s Diambers FC in mid-October in the second preliminary round of the competition.

Finidi will hope to enjoy as much coaching success as he did during his playing days. 

He was a key member of the Ajax team that won three Eredivisie titles, the 1995 UEFA Champions League, the European Super Cup, and the Intercontinental Cup.

The ex-Real Betis winger was capped 62 times by Nigeria from 1991 to 2002, winning the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia with the Super Eagles.