“We need to support him” – Ex-Super Eagles defender urges Nigeria to rally behind Finidi George

Sodje played as a centre-back for Nigeria at the AFCON 2000 tournament and the 2002 FIFA World Cup, making 12 caps for the Super Eagles.

Former Super Eagles and Luton Town defender, Efetobore Peter Sodje, has called on Nigerians to support the newly appointed coach of the Nigerian Football team – Finidi George, Soccernet.ng reports.

Sodje, famous for donning a bandana with the caption “against all odds” around his head during his playing days, recorded twelve caps for Nigeria, scoring one goal, although he was born in England.

A few weeks ago, the Nigerian Football Federation appointed Finidi as the man to lead Nigeria to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and last weekend, the new coach released his 23-man squad list to face South Africa and the Benin Republic in the World Cup qualifiers next month.

Speaking with Brila, Sodje urged Nigerians to look beyond Finidi’s selection but to rather trust and support him so he can return the Super Eagles to the days of glory.

“Every manager has their trusted players. I’m sure the technical side of the NFF helped him with some picks since he’s new to the job. However, having worked with Peseiro, Finidi knows the players he wants to work with,” the former Huddersfield Town defender said.

“As ex-players and fans, we need to support him because we all share the goal of qualifying for the World Cup. We should pray and be positive about his choices, hoping he gets the results needed to take us to the World Cup, I wish him good luck and hope for the right results,” the 51-year-old added.

Nigeria will play against South Africa on the 7th of June at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, with the kick-off set for 8 pm.

 

 

Adefolahan Guerreiro

Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria. With a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience. He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.

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