“They can’t try it with a whiteman” – Ex-Sweden Allsvenskan goal-king faults NFF’s treatment of Finidi

Former Malmo FC forward Peter Ijeh has criticized the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for its treatment of Finidi George, which led to his resignation as head coach of the Super Eagles, Soccernet.ng reports. 

Ijeh’s comments come after the NFF demoted Finidi to assistant coach just six weeks into his tenure following poor results against South Africa and Benin Republic earlier in June.

The NFF then announced plans to hire a foreign Technical Adviser to oversee the team, prompting Finidi to resign immediately.

Peter Ijeh, Nigeria’s all-time top scorer in the Swedish Allsvenskan with 59 goals, expressed his disappointment with the NFF’s decision.

He referenced the tenure of Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro, who had a poor start with the Super Eagles winning two and losing six of his first eight games, and suggested that a foreign coach would not have been treated as harshly as Finidi.

Speaking on Brila FM’s “No Holds Barred” with Ifeanyi Udeze, Ijeh argued that hiring a foreign coach does not ensure success in the next FIFA World Cup.

He believes Finidi George deserved more time to prove his capabilities, stressing that success in football heavily relies on the support provided to both players and coaches.

“From the beginning, I believe the NFF vetted who they wanted. Two foreign coaches before Finidi lost their first five matches. They should have handled the situation better,” Ijeh said.

He highlighted the importance of understanding contractual agreements and implied that foreign coaches might receive more favourable treatment.

Ijeh noted, “Writing a contract is one thing; the clauses of the contract are another. Who knows what he signed or what the agreement was?

“Everything that happened, they can’t try it with a white man.”

Ijeh also emphasized the potential of Nigerian coaches, both domestically and abroad, who have modern certifications and are capable of leading the Super Eagles. 

The former Nigeria international urged the NFF to reconsider their approach and avoid making hasty decisions.

“I still believe building a Nigerian for that task is possible because we have qualified coaches, even in the diaspora, with modern certifications who can execute the job. It depends on the Glass House supporting the coach.

“It’s just to advise the NFF that, look, what is the guarantee that bringing in a technical adviser would win the remaining six games? What if he doesn’t win? What next? Where are we going?”

Days after Finidi’s resignation, the NFF has yet to appoint a new head coach for the national team.

Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and now face uncertainty ahead of the next edition, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.