NIGERIA Football Federation president Ibrahim Gusau has revealed that Finidi George was appointed as Super Eagles head coach despite ‘a plethora of foreign applicants’.
Finidi, 53, was today officially presented as the head coach of the national team he starred in the 1990s, succeeding his former boss Jose Peseiro.
The former Ajax and Real Betis winger took temporary charge of the Super Eagles in March for friendly matches against Ghana and Mali before he was officially appointed on a permanent basis.
“When we returned from the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, we began the search for a new head coach,” Gusau explained at the presentation ceremony today in Abuja.
“There was a plethora of foreign applicants, far more than the indigenous applicants. However, we undertook a thorough process that has produced an indigenous coach and we are very happy about that.
“Finidi George was part of the technical crew that came close to winning the AFCON, and we have faith in him that he will lead the team to the title next time.
“Our objective now is to ensure the enthronement of excellence at all levels of the national teams.”
Gusau added that the football-governing body is determined to fully support Finidi and his assistants to lead the Super Eagles to new heights.
Finidi will have former Super Eagles teammate Daniel Amokachi in his backroom staff, along with Benjamin James, Olatunji Baruwa (goalkeeper trainer), Chima Onyeike (fitness trainer) and Mehmet Ozturk (analyst).
