-
Why FINIDI GEORGE Will Make Different Kind Of Coach
Despite being the head coach of Enyimba Fc of Aba, Finidi George also served as the assistant manager to former coach, Jose Pesiero for 20 months, the 53-year-old was selected ahead of other top coaches, local and expatriate, who applied for the job.
Finidi took charge of the team in an interim capacity for the friendlies against Ghana and Mali in March. His appointment of as the new head coach of the Super Eagles on a one-year deal was a huge surprise in some quarters.
Of course, it was apparent that the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, was leaning towards an indigenous coach for the national team. The two names that were expected to be picked from this time around were George and Emmanuel Amuneke.
A lot of observers expected the NFF to appoint Amuneke. He won the nation’s hearts as coach of Nigeria’s U17 team, leading them to glory at the FIFA U17 World Cup.
On the continent, he qualified Tanzania for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations – their first in nearly 40 years.
However, Amuneke’s record with Egypt’s Misr Lel Makkasa and Zambia’s Zanaco left much to be desired. The 53-year-old also failed to help the Nigeria U20 team qualify for the AFCON in 2017.
But Ayodeji Adegbenro, a Sports Administrator, insists the NFF has made the right choice. “Finidi is miles ahead of Amuneke. He has won the league with Enyimba and has two seasons of CAF Champions League experience. He also assisted Peseiro for 20 months.
“Amuneke has failed at every coaching position since he won the U17 in 2015. He’s one of the major reasons we didn’t qualify for Qatar. He shouldn’t be near the Super Eagles job,” Adegbenro said. All that is in the past. Looking to the future, George has been saddled with the task of ensuring Nigeria qualifies for the 2026 World Cup.
However, City People explain why George would make a different kind of coach for the Eagles. Over the years, with his stints as a coach and style of play as a footballer, George has shown what his football philosophy is like giving a peek into what to expect from him as the new head coach of the Super Eagles. George, a beguile winger during his playing days, spent seven years in the colours of Ajax and Real Betis. If there is a thing these two club sides are known for, it is their philosophy of attacking play.
Imprinted in the Ajax football style is the Total Football philosophy engineered by Johan Cruyff, and George in his managerial career has not betrayed this philosophy as his teams are always known for a free-flowing style of play, which means Super Eagles fans can be hopeful of once again seeing their team play some eye-catching football.
A chunk of the criticisms of Peseiro was his rigidity at sticking to a single tactical approach even in the face of the approach not working out. With George, that is most likely going to be non-existent, with the Nigerian gaffer having shown his knack for tactical flexibility and excellent game reading during his stint at Enyimba.
Unlike Peseiro, George had a more successful playing career, winning major trophies including the UEFA Champions League as well as representing Nigeria twice at the FIFA World Cup.
With the experience of having tasted football at the highest stages, it could prove to be important in the dressing room and on the pitch with the current players in the Super Eagles hungry for major silverware with the national team. George could bring his rich experience to bear on the current crop of players which could be a significant source of motivation and guide to a winning culture in the Super Eagles. George is very much in a position to exploit the local league for the talents he needs to add to our foreign-based stars for the right balance a Nigerian squad needs.
Being a coach in the Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL, gives him the room to look inwards from the local league which he has been in for three seasons now. This has been the case for many foreign coaches, because they barely spend one month in the country, hence not being able to look inwards and pick the best talents in the country, with this the league will grow more than it is at the moment.
Buttressing his appointment and the expectations from the football faithful in the country, Ademola Olajire, the NFF Director of Communications, speaking to Hotsports highlighted Finidi’s two-year stint as an assistant coach under Jose Peseiro, during which he demonstrated his understanding of the team dynamics and contributed significantly to its success.
“I’m not a member of the Technical Committee but I can also look at a lot of positives around Finidi George. He worked for twenty months as an assistant with Jose Peseiro, which gives him a head start over anybody, Olajire told Hotspots. “Finidi worked closely with the team, was with the team when they qualified for the AFCON and came second at the AFCON,” he said. Additionally, Olajire praised Finidi’s coaching achievements, notably winning the league title with Enyimba in his second season and his current pursuit of retaining the title in his third season with the club. “He started with Enyimba. In his second season, he won the league title. It is not easy to win the league title so we must praise him.
“That is no mean feat and it shows that this is a man who knows what he’s doing,” he said.
The NFF believes that Finidi’s appointment has garnered widespread approval among Nigerian football fans, who view him as a fitting successor to Peseiro. Ahead of the Super Eagles’ crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers matches, the NFF is confident that Finidi’s appointment will propel the team to success.
Finidi is poised to make his mark and validate the NFF’s decision to select him as the new Super Eagles head coach.
-Benprince Ezeh
08068599879
