Former Super Eagles assistant coach James Peters has recommended that more experienced coaches should work with Finidi George.
Finidi has come under criticism following the Eagles’ poor showing on matchday 3 and 4 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
After a 1-1 draw against South Africa in Uyo, the Eagles lost 2-1 to Benin Republic in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Speaking on how things can improve under Finidi, Peters suggested that he needs experienced heads as part of his backroom staff.
“Finidi Needs experienced coaches to work with him but as it is now he doesn’t have that,” the former Flying Eagles coach said
“He needs to work with three, four experienced coaches who will be on the bench with him but the final decision stops on his table.”
Finidi will hope to turn things around when the qualifiers resume in March 2025 when the Eagles will be away to Rwanda and face Zimbabwe in Uyo.
The team currently occupies fifth place on three points after four games.
Rwanda (7 points), South Africa (7 points)Benin Republic (7 points) and Lesotho (5 points) are first, second, third and fourth respectively.
Zimbabwe are bottom in the six-team table on two points.
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Until he stays for long and Nigeria doesn’t enter world cup last last, una eyes go clear by then. Mtcheeew
o
NFF SHOULD HAVE EMPLOY A HIGHLY TECHNICAL FOREIGN COACH THAT KNOW ABOUT AFRICAN FOOTBALL & SUPER EAGLE PLAYERS.
THE REASON WHY SOME EX-PLAYERS AND SOME PRESENT SUPER EAGLE PLAYERS ARE IN SUPPORT OF INDIGENOUS COACH(especially Finidi) IS BECAUSE THAT, IT WILL BE VERY EASY FOR THEM TO PENETRATE IN HIM, CONTROLLING HIM & DICTATING TO HIM WHEN IT COMES TO PLAYERS SELECTION, WHICH IT CANNOT BE POSSIBLE ON FOREIGN COACH. ALSO, IT WILL BE VERY EASY TO DO BUSINESS BY INTRODUCING PLAYERS TO INDIGENOUS COACH AFTER COLLECTING BRIBE FROM SUCH PLAYERS.
** NOTE: We should not be deceiving ourselves in this country because of the way things work for other countries (e.g. Democracy work well in America, S/Africa, Ghana but it doesn’t work well in Nigeria).
THE WAY THINGS WORK FOR COACH H. SHEHATA(EGYPT), COACH ALIOU CISSE(SENEGAL) BY WINNING AFCON FOR THEIR COUNTY (and also qualified for next AFCON easily) MAY NOT WORK IN NIGERIA DUE TO CORRUPTION, IMPROPER PLANNING, LACK OF STRUCTURES, BAD MANAGEMENT.
IN NIGERIA, WE ARE TOO RELIGIONISTIC, REGIONISTIC, TRIBALISTIC & SENTIMENTAL.
EVEN when Keshi won AFCON in 2013, he failed woefully to qualified for next AFCON due to bad management(Pinnick VS Giwa), sentiment, jealous, hatred towards some players (e.g. Yobo, I.K. uche, V.moses).
**** NFF SHOULD HAVE GO FOR THE BEST FOREIGN COACH.***
What matters most is to move our football forward & not celebrating FLUKE WINNING again. We struggle/manage to beat CIV by penalty in group stage. But E/guinea beat CIV 4-0 convincingly.
*** KESHI WON AFCON IN 2013, BUT WE CANNOT BOAST OF PLAYERS, THE TEAM FOR THE FUTURE (for instance: Sunday MBA, Uzoenyi, Oshaniwa, Agbim are nowhere to be found in future football). AND NIGERIA FAILED TO QUALIFIED FOR NEXT TWO CONSECUTIVE AFCON.
WHAT A SHAME!!!!
**** WESTERHOF WIN AFCON IN 1994, BUT NIGERIA CAN BOAST OF FUTURE FOOTBALL (for instance: Oliseh, Okocha, Amokachi, Amuneke shine for future football).
WHAT A BRIGHTER FUTURE!!!!!
### NFF SHOULD EMPLOY A GOOD DISCIPLINE, TACTICAL, HIGHLY RESPECTED COACH ###
GIVE US HERVE RENARD & SIASIA in August
AFTER WINNING LEAGUE WITH ENYIMBA, HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN FLYING EAGLE (U-20) OR DREAM TEAM(U-23) JOB TO TEST HIS CAPACITY & INTELLIGENCY IN NATIONAL TEAM BEFORE GIVING HIM SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM.
Why do we like running away from the truth in this country called Nigeria….?
Why not just give the ‘3 or 4 more experienced hands’ the job?
Who will boss this 3 or 4 men?Of course Finidi!Just like we had many men who assisted Eguavoen in the last failed campaign.How come we don’t learn from the past,we keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results!
I’m seeing Nigerians as very thick!
I think they have concluded in destroying our world cup hopes,next in line is the Afcon.
That’s what Nigerians are good at,DESTRUCTION!!
Finidi should continue no problem..
Gradually we’re sinking to a level of not qualifying for major tournaments should we continue romancing with indigenous coaches.
Soon we will be plunging deeper and out of control!
See the way these people are romancing failure.
I heard the next match is March next year. A lot can still be done to get the desired result.
There is urgent need to overhaul the whole team and get a qualified foreign coach.
If you need 3 or 4 experienced coaches around you, then it certainly means you are not qualified for the job.
So, what is the reason for keeping Finidi around?
Nigeria leadership always think in reverse. And arrogantly so.
NFF sabotaged us and the biggest conspirators are mute.
I watched most the training session and never saw a single tactical session with Finidi. Everywhere and everybody was so relaxed like they were only going to play against street teams.
Who will drag Gusau out of that office? Is the government so afraid of FIFA? Jonathan attempted it back then after a similar fiasco before Pinnick begged and agreed to hire Rohr.
Let’s do it. EFCC should move in. FIFA should do it’s worst. Everything is scattered now. What’s the use?
If Gusau and his comedic board will not resign peacefully, let government do it forcefully. Rather than letting Gusau always insult us with a dismissive silence after blunder after blunders.
‘If Gusau and his comedic board will not resign peacefully, let government do it forcefully….’ @ Kel
I second that. Then Enoh resigns honourably.
The loss really got to my nerves, I have been online, reading the news, blogs more than usual, hoping to read Finidi is gone. Please Mr President, for the board and Finidi out. I just don2t care what FİFA thinks. With Finidi there, we will miss the world cup after all.
‘If Gusau and his comedic board will not resign peacefully, let government do it forcefully….’ @ Kel
I second that. Then Enoh resigns honourably.
The loss really got to my nerves, I have been online, reading the news, blogs more than usual, hoping to read Finidi is gone. Please Mr President, force the board and Finidi out. And let of that Sports Minister of yours,Enoh. They are all clueless. I just don’t care what FİFA thinks. With Finidi there, we will miss the world cup after all.
Same here, @Mr. Hush. I’m seething with anger and just trying to control myself.
Owngoal is giving a ray of hope, though, that the very useless has begun making moves to relieve Finidi soon, adding that he wasn’t even interviewed for the job. But OGN reports are more hearsay than facts.
Findi is sitting tight. But the worst thing for me? NFF ignoring everyone like they don’t give a hoot. What has Gusau or their sit-tight technical director said in all of these mess they created?
Which Nigerian team has succeeded since Gusau and his jokers seized power? Only Waldrum’s girls. And the other girls. All the men/boys teams have been brutally decimated in different CAF competitions and qualifiers: U17, U20, U23, and now SE.
SHAME. Gusau is failure unlimited.
I used to caution against FIFA ban. But at this point, let FIFA ban us if they like.
We need to clean house!
Like he is that super experienced himself
We learnt some very valuable lessons in the two games that Finidi oversaw as Super Eagles head coach in these 2 world cup qualifiers. These include:
– The Super Eagles have players who can rise from setback (vs South Africa).
– The Super Eagles have players who draw first blood (vs Benin).
– The Super Eagles midfield can indeed be creative (in the two games).
– The Super Eagles can knuckle down and put pressure on opponents (in the two games).
– The Super Eagles can take the fight to the opposition (in the two games).
The variables above are positives that are inescapable. So, it is now up to the sports ministry, NFF and the federal government to build on these positives to help Nigeria come second in the group and qualify for the inter-continental playoffs to give us a fighting chance of qualifying for the world cup.
Winning the group is possible but seems very improbable; but coming second is very possible indeed. If these 3 powerful stakeholders are serious, if they have the interest of soccer-loving Nigerians at heart, they will butt heads together to fashion out a credible world cup qualification recovery strategy to navigate Nigeria’s ambitions back on track.
At the heart of this strategy will be the immediate disbanding of the current Finidi George-led management team. And then, specific job requirements to be drawn up with roles and responsibilities of a coach that is vastly experienced in successfully recovering a lost course in football competitions.
There are very many such coaches out there; coaches that have snatched league status survival from the deadly jaws of relegation. Very many of such coaches will be queuing up to have a crack at rescuing Nigeria’s flailing world cup qualification ambitions.
And we have players fired up to drag Nigeria out of the mud.
A panel made up of foreign recruitment specialists should be tasked with identifying, shortlisting and recommending the successful candidate to the NFF. Between the NFF, sports ministry and the federal government, they should spare no expense to bring the successful candidate on board. This is very doable between these 3 stakeholders.
I want to thank Finidi for his efforts; he did his best but he needed to hit the ground running. Just 1 win in 4 games (2 friendlies and 2 competitive games) is not good enough. Yes, he (Finidi) faced structural problems, but on the pitch, his tactical and technical injections, along with team selections and player arrangements were gravely inadequate ingredients for success required as Super Eagles coach.
Finidi now has to go (I say that without grudge to him).
Federal government, sports ministry and the NFF, come together to engage an older vastly experienced coach like Sam Allardyce, Tony Pulis who has track record of rescuing valuables from a sinking ship.
Retaining Finidi shows me that the NFF, sports ministry and the federal government are not as emotionally engaged and invested in the Super Eagles’ world cup ambitions like majority of the fans are. Believe me, it we fans can set up a Go-Fund-Me page on social media to raise the funds to employ a competent coach, we will do it.
But why should it come to that? Is Nigeria that insolvent?
I am down on my knees for these 3 powerful stakeholder to do the needful; the Super Eagles brand cannot be left to fade into oblivion!
Save us from international embarrassment!
My brother@deo ,dont mind the NFF and the minister of sports. The reason they gave the job to Finidi is because he was the cheapest of all. These guys in APC government from my assessment of their prediction over the years dont have the interest of the nation at heart.All they care about is their pocket .Theydont wana pay high for a competent coach so that someone will have some change to go home with.In view of this,we cannot get good results. Soup wey sweet na money kill am says a local adage.No good coach is cheap. Nigeria must emulate other smaller African nations and hire an experienced coach which can never come cheap. For me i will go for the guy that worked with pep.We are at a junction where the president has to come in and support in terms of funds, because only a foreign Coach can bail us out of this quagmire .
They got former Man City’s assistant coach but couldn’t employ him. This is someone who has worked with one of the best coaches in the world. You need someone who has coached in the highest level of football to rescue this team. Forget about Finidi, he doesn’t have what it takes to do that. He is a baby coach. You don’t need a learner to this handle this team but a giver. We’re already doomed if we still talk about retaining Finidi.
@Joe you will make heaven
Thanks you Joe. Nigeria don’t want to do the right thing that man city coach I support, please sack finidi,
These fools are lucky Nigeria is a failed country, try this nonsense in a civilized country, a young prosecutor would be having a field day with these clowns. Ogogoro master knows he lacks the experience, the technicality still he fought for this job just to enriched himself. We should mount pressure on this present administration to setup criminal inquiry to investigate these people,How can daft Ogogiro master allowed to manage a big like the super eagles.
But the government are the ones who led us into this mess
wait a minute are will still talking about finidi. Honestly, the guy has giving his best which is a mediocre of a situation that cannot explain by any know law of nature. that we cannot beat Benin on a neutral ground. he should do the honorable thing and resign. even Fifa will not complain if we sack him and refuse to honour his contract.
If Finidi has lost your support then we might as well write his obituary.
I will praise him for adding strength to the Nigerian midfield something that Peseiro failed to do. He selected dele-Bashiru and gave Onyedika and Yusuf more exposure, all three showed that they deserved starting slots. Recall that Peseiro kept them near permanently on the bench. I will also thank him for Sodiq who showed himself as a ball-crossing left fullback, something Nigeria is solely missing.
I won’t thank him for the wiry Tanimu who, despite his commendable performance, at 21 is not experienced enough to be exposed at the full international level. I felt he did not, unlike Sodiq, have the skills of a fullback and is not imposing in height or physique to be taken seriously as a centre-back in the physical African game.
Finidi was tactically bereft, and it showed! He was unable to drill the team in either set-plays or set-pieces that are now the staple of international competitive matches. South Africa scored from set-play and Benin as revealed by the scorer also scored their first goal from set-play. Benin’s set-piece 2nd goal also revealed another area of Finidi’s deficiency; lack of set-piece tactics for freekicks or corners.
Findi misused Ademola Lookman or didn’t unlike Peseiro understand how the forward plays. Ademola Lookman is a speedster, his great strength lies in leading counter-attacks, break-outs or fast transitions with his speed. He is not one for the slow build-up play that was orchestrated by Iwobi presumably guided by Finidi.
Peseiro stated before AFCON that he was going to model his team around Lookman, translating he meant he was going to make the team play to Lookman’s strength i.e. counterattacking football.
Finidi did not also understand Chukwueze. I would admit he was a mystery to me as well until recently. Chukwueze requires close support from either a partner in the midfield or from the fullback. Without such support, Chukwueze becomes isolated and lost. When he was closely supported by Yusuf, Chukwueze almost scored and when he was supported by Onyedika he played the assist that led to the first goal.
Finidi was fascinated with Onuachu, a player who always disappoints because he never gives you what his physical appearance suggests. I am not one to criticise the defensive partnership, because such partnerships are built on experience. Finidi’s squad selection doomed him to defensive failure. He refused to incorporate defensive experience that Balogun or Ekong could have provided. Many commentators were screaming themselves hoarse that he call one of them up, and yet they were unheard or ignored by him.
Finidi is arrogant in this respect. He did not know or recognise his coaching limitations vis a vis his tactical opponents. Listening to the football community can help a coach obtain clarity and even new insight into player selection and tactics. After all, Peseiro listened to the fans in discovering Nwabali as a replacement to your friend. Yes, not all fans make intelligent suggestions but the body of fans can help a coach discover new talent and new possibilities. As a novice international coach, Finidi showed unforgivable arrogance.
I also question whether Finidi studied or deployed his staff to study either the South African or the Beninoise team. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have underestimated the latter and would have closed shop (i.e. park-the-bus) at 1-0 to rely on counter-attacks using Lookman. The team Rohr assembled for Benin was based on the same team selection method he used while in Nigeria. Rohr searched all over Europe for Beninoise football talent and assembled Division 1 and 2 players from France and Switzerland mixed with a couple of hungry under-21 talent. He then, unlike Finidi, drilled them with set-plays and set-piece strategies. This my friend was not a team to underestimate with the usual Nigerian arrogance. They will trouble any team in Africa.
Finidi’s substitutions were often the product of panic rather than pre-set tactical analysis. It seems that in setting out his approach to games he never countenances that his team would be losing and pre-bake his tactical reaction to that eventuality. In short, Finidi came only with plan A. No plan B, C, or D.
Obviously finidi is not a competent coach from his weak speach and posture. To have said that no special formular to win a match is an indication he doesn’t understand football formation and modeen tactics. He ahould be sacked immediately with punishment and any ex international who desire to become coach should start by studying. That you are a ex footballer does not qurantee you as a good coach. Finidi must be sack immediately