The Nigeria Football Federation has announced that an expatriate coach will be hired in the coming weeks for the county’s national football team, the Super Eagles.
There has been public outcry on the dismal outing of the Super Eagles in the World Cup qualifying series where Nigeria is precariously placed fifth behind South Africa, Rwanda, Lesotho and Benin Republic in the race for a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.
In a bid to address the Super Eagles’ recent struggles, the NFF emerged from a meeting on Wednesday with a series of crucial decisions.
The Executive Committee acknowledged the team’s “dismal output” in the ongoing World Cup qualifiers, as stated in the meeting communique, and pledged to “work assiduously” to improve their performance.
A key action centres on the coaching staff.
The NFF confirmed they will hire “an expatriate Technical Adviser for the Super Eagles in the coming weeks.
“This foreign coach will take the helm ahead of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers and the remaining World Cup qualifying matches.”
It was not stated whether coach Finidi George will work under the incoming foreign coach like he did under Jose Peserio or he will be completely kicked out of the national team.
Finidi had confirmed he signed a performance-based contract with the NFF which means he could be eased off if not measuring up to the standard expected.
PREMIUM TIMES reliably gathered the NFF had originally muted the idea of a foreign coach before settling for Finidi.
“The original plan was to hire another capable expatriate coach to replace Peserio but they said no money for that when we approached the ministry,” a source that was part of the process to get a coach for the Super Eagles earlier this year, told PREMIUM TIMES.
More reforms
Aside from hiring an expatriate coach, the NFF also said they are committed to strengthening the technical foundation of the national team.
They will be “beefing” up the NFF Technical Department with more qualitative hands,” according to the communique.
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Additionally, they plan to “re-jig” the Technical and Development Sub-Committee “with immediate effect.”
While acknowledging the challenges faced during recent qualifiers due to a nationwide strike, the NFF also expressed their disappointment with “the poor attitude of some of the players to the National Assignment.
“To address this, they plan to implement “a more robust scouting programme of outstanding Nigeria-eligible players from across the four corners of the universe.”
This wider net will hopefully identify players who can bring a renewed dedication and skillset to the national team.
Looking beyond the immediate coaching changes and player scouting, the NFF recognises the need for broader collaboration.
They plan to convene “a Stakeholders’ Forum in a few weeks” to discuss amendments to the current NFF Statutes.
While the Super Eagles are expected back in action for the AFCON 2025 Qualifiers in September, the World Cup Qualifiers are on hold until March 2025.
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