Former Nigerian international Edema Fuludu has called upon the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to entrust the senior national team reins to another Super Eagles icon, George Finidi, Soccernet.ng reports.
The national team head coach position became vacant after former Sporting Lisbon manager Jose Peseiro announced his departure earlier this month.
Peseiro’s tenure culminated with a nail-biting 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final against Ivory Coast, where the Eagles narrowly succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the hosts.
Several coaches, including Emmanuel Amunike, Michael Nsien, Sunday Oliseh, Ndubuisi Egbo, and Daniel Amokachi, have shown interest in taking over from the Portuguese gaffer. A few foreign coaches are also reportedly eyeing the Super Eagles coaching job.
However, amidst the clamour for a Nigerian coach to be appointed, Fuludu’s voice resonates with conviction as he champions Finidi’s candidacy for the coveted position.
Finidi, who was teammates with Fuludu when the Super Eagles won the AFCON in 1994 on Tunisian soil, is the current interim head coach of the Super Eagles. The former AFC Ajax and Real Betis midfielder was Peseiro’s assistant for 22 months.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (per the Vanguard), Fuludu underscored Finidi’s suitability for the role, particularly citing the recent friendly match against Ghana’s Black Stars as evidence of Finidi’s managerial prowess.
The Super Eagles clinched victory with a resolute 2-1 triumph, a feat that, according to Fuludu, exemplifies Finidi’s aptitude for the job.
“Finidi is calm, serene, and has the coaching qualifications to deal perfectly with the team,” Fuludu said.
“As far as I’m concerned, he’s not someone who can be easily influenced.
“He is capable of dealing with the players who were substitutes for former foreign coach José Peseiro.”
Fuludu added: “I have said that hiring an indigenous coach for the Super Eagles will get the best out of our national players because he will understand the team more than foreigners.
Nigeria’s win in Morocco is the Super Eagles’ first victory in 18 years over Ghana’s Black Stars.
Coach Finidi will want to make it two consecutive wins when he guides the three-time African champions against Mali in another international friendly on Tuesday, March 26.
NB: Is the win over Ghana enough to prove George Finidi’s prowess to manage the Super Eagles permanently? Leave your comments below.
This post was last modified on %s = human-readable time difference 11:47 am
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View Comments
Yes. I know. We just beat Ghana. I also know that it is only a friendly. Let’s not be carried away. The reason for a friendly is to experiment with your team. It’s not necessarily about winning. You cannot hire or fire a coach based on friendly results.
Nigerians can easily forget. These are the same reaction people had when Augustine Eguavon was in charge. Finidi George can work perfectly with Emmanuel Amuneke while Sunday Oliseh will be a better fit for Technical Director.
I believe that Nigeria is ripe for an indigenous coach.
Therefore whether We win in our current matches or not... the time has come.
Air peace Guru.....Mr.Onyeama is serious with his threat to sue the Nigerian Soccer Federation... and if carried out..it would be a huge embarrassment and distraction for us.
Why do people give cliche opinions? was the reason we lost the Nations Cup final because the foreign coach didn't understand the players?
I would like to believe it's because he didn't apply the right strategy and personnel to get the job done. If people want a Nigerian coach at all cost just say that.
Also, this is one friendly game against a Ghana team that hasn't been good in a while. So, I don't think this means much. So, if Finidi had lost wouldn't people be saying he's not the right manager for the job? NFF keeps doing the same things and expecting different results.
If Nigerians want continuity in playing patterns, improvement in results, and winning culture, Finidi George is best placed to achieve that having been an assistant to the silver-winning Jose Peseiro. But has Peseiro been a superb foreign coach? No. He lost a winnable AFCON trophy to bad tactics in the final. Our last AFCON trophy was achieved by an unsupported local coach, Keshi. Looking at all the past players and names being touted locally, I prefer Finidi again, because he currently coaches a club, Enyimba, which sits 3 points behind league leaders in Nigeria with a good chance to be champions, unlike the clubless Amunike and Oliseh. Lastly, judging by the way he introduced Tanimu against Ghana, he showed some coaching bravery even Peseiro didn't show in AFCON final much needed to substitute Iwobi early enough and that only a Siasia has shown in the past. As for Oliseh, I believe his time has passed, just like Eguaveon, Salisu, Bosso, etc. Whatever the result comes from the Mali match, I urge NFF to fully appoint and support Finidi in acting capacity through out the qualifiers by letting him appoint his assistants for easier man-management.
since he is the assistant to the out-goiing coach(paseiro), it will be a good succession and healthy for the entire team for finidi to continue from where the former stopped. To hire another coach will be to start all over again.
We need to start all over again, and plan based on principles, sound rational and verifiable principles with responsibility on whoever is making the decisions.