Head coach of the Super Eagles, Finidi George, resigned following a dismal sequence of matches during the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
On Saturday, the former Nigerian international gave Channels Television confirmation of his resignation. Indeed, it is accurate. In answer to questions, he wrote, “I have resigned.”
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has not yet responded to this development, though.
George guided the Eagles to a 1-1 draw at home in Uyo against South Africa and a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in Abidjan, severely jeopardizing Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup.
Nigeria had already played two draws in the qualifiers under former coach Jose Peseiro, and these two results prolonged their winless streak in the competition.
Nigeria is currently ranked fifth in Group C of the 2026 World Cup qualification list, ahead of only Zimbabwe.
Many fans called for George’s dismissal after the Nigerian team’s dismal showing in the two games under his leadership.
After the games in South Africa and the Benin Republic, George was called into an emergency meeting by the NFF and the Sports Minister, who were worried that they might not be able to attend another World Cup due to the collapse of Qatar 2022.
Following the discussion, the country’s football regulatory body decided not to punish George but to hire a foreign technical adviser for the Super Eagles.
What part George will play moving forward for the Super Eagles was not apparent, though.
The Nigeria Football Federation’s Executive Committee convened in hybrid format on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, to discuss and decide upon key topics pertaining to Nigerian football. The resolutions adopted were as follows:
“At the September 2025 AFCON qualifiers and the March 2025 World Cup qualifiers, the Executive Committee sincerely apologized to Nigerians for the disappointing results and the ensuing extremely poor returns of the Senior Men National Team, Super Eagles, in four out of ten matches in the ongoing qualification series for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals. The NFF further stated that they would work diligently and implement the necessary measures to ensure a better-prepared squad ahead of these events.”
“In addition to (1) above, the Executive Committee decided to hire a foreign Technical Adviser for the Super Eagles in the upcoming weeks, ahead of the FIFA World Cup qualifying matches and the AFCON qualifiers.”
Following the expiration of his NFF contract at the conclusion of the 2023 Nation’s Cup in Ivory Coast, when the team lost to the host in the final, Portuguese strategist Jose Peseiro left the Super Eagles squad.
Following Peseiro’s resignation, the Federation appointed George to fill the gap. George assisted the Portuguese for 20 months. The appointment took place after a few weeks.
The news of his employment in April marked the long-awaited return of Nigeria to an indigenous coach.
Enyimba led the team in an acting capacity during two friendlies in Morocco in March prior to George, who was also the head coach of the Nigerian league team, being named the official head coach.
In the opening game, he guided the squad to a 2-1 victory over Ghana, snapping an 18-year losing run to the Black Stars. However, in the return encounter, they were defeated 0-2 by Mali.
Ultimately, George’s lone triumph in his four games as coach of the Super Eagles came from the friendly win over Ghana. He had one tie and two losses against South Africa and the Benin Republic.
George participated in international competition for Nigeria, earning 62 caps. He belonged to the golden age of Nigerian players who won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia.
That same year, Nigeria made its FIFA World Cup debut in the USA, where they finished as the second-most entertaining team.
In addition, he took home gold, silver, and bronze from the AFCON competitions in 1992, 1994, 2000, and 2002.
The 52-year-old former forward for Ajax Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and Real Betis (Spain) also played for Calabar Rovers and Sharks FC in the domestic scene before moving to Europe. He scored his first goal for his country in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Burkina Faso at the National Stadium in Lagos on July 27, 1991.
