NFF technically sacks Finidi George, set for foreign coach

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has swung the axe on Finidi George‘s tenure as Super Eagles coach and announced plans to hire a foreign technical adviser in the wake of the team’s shambolic 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign so far.

In a statement released after an executive committee meeting on Wednesday, June 12, the NFF apologised to Nigerian fans for the Eagles’ “dismal output and very poor returns” of just three points from a possible 12 in the opening four qualifiers.

It stated that the federation had “resolved to employ an expatriate Technical Adviser for the Super Eagles in the coming weeks” ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers starting in September.

The dramatic move signals the end of Finidi’s brief reign, which has been dogged by poor results and criticism over squad selection.

The Atlanta ’96 Olympic gold medalist was appointed last month with hopes he could galvanise the three-time African champions.

However, his tenure has unravelled quickly, with Nigeria already facing an uphill battle to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after losing to Benin and drawing with South Africa in recent matches.

While the NFF statement made no direct reference to Finidi’s future role, reading between the lines suggests a demotion is likely as they pursue a high-profile foreign coach.

The NFF has opted to follow the well-trodden path of hiring foreign expertise in a bid to revive the Super Eagles’ fortunes.

With the team currently fifth in their World Cup qualifying group, a new technical adviser will be tasked with masterminding an improbable revival in the remaining qualifiers in 2025.

Their priority, however, will be ensuring Nigeria qualifies for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations to avoid compounding the current misery.