Head coach of the Super Eagles, Finidi George, has said that his immediate task and priority is to qualify the nation for the 2026 World Cup slated for Canada, Mexico and U.S.
The Board of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on April 19, appointed George as Head Coach of the Super Eagles.
George stated this at his unveiling as the new head coach of the Super Eagles by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), at the Moshood Abiola National stadium on Monday in Abuja.
The former Ajax Amsterdam winger, who was assistant to former Super Eagles gaffer, Jose Peseiro, was jointly unveiled by the NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau and Sports Minister, Sen. John Owan Enoh.
“For me, my first target is to make sure we are in line to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, the AFCON qualifiers will also be coming up soon.
“But the major target for me is the two games we have, we will do everything to win against South Africa and Benin Republic.
“Once we do that we will have set the tone and we will take it from there,” he said.
The coach warned that going forward; players will be invited to the Super Eagles based on regular playing time in their clubs and commitment to the national team.
He dismissed insinuations about having rift with some players in the Super Eagles, stressing that his relationship with the players was ‘perfect’ and professional.
“My relationship with the players is very perfect. I will try to improve on my relationship as this will be different. You will not hear any controversy on my relationship,” he said.
Earlier, NFF President Ibrahim Gusau said the coach will be given all the support he needs to succeed in the task ahead.
“We have given our coach the opportunity to choose his assistants. We will not impose anybody on him.
“We are going to engage the assistants on game basis but will pay the head coach monthly salary. We want to avoid salary issues,” he said .
The Minister of Sports Development, Sen. John Owan Enoh stressed the importance of having and supporting indigenous coaches to succeed.
“We have an opportunity to have a local coach to lead the Super Eagles. Back then in my University days, I would go to UJ Eseune stadium to watch Calabar Rovers and see Finidi George play.
“I am honoured to be here to witness his unveiling, if you love Nigerian football, you must love and support Finidi George. His success will bring joy to Nigerians.
“Any country I find an indigenous coach sitting on the bench, I always feel very proud and I am glad that we have an opportunity that has a Nigerian coach, Finidi George, as football men national team coach, “ he said.
The details of the contract was not revealed.
The coach has picked ex-international, Daniel Amokachi as assistant coach, Olatunji Baruwa as goalkeeper trainer, Mehmet Ozturk, match analyst, Benjamin James and Chima Onyeike, fitness trainers.
The immediate task of the coach is to get the Super Eagles back on track in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers where Nigeria currently sit third in Group C, with two points from two matches.
Nigeria drew with Lesotho and Zimbabwe in the first two matches in the qualifying series in November.
The Super Eagles will face South Africa and Benin Republic in June, in what has been described as a make or mar clash.

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has explained that his visit to the residential quarters of the State House of Assembly is to undertake on-the-spot assessment of condition of the structures for a possible rehabilitation work to restore its status and make livable.
Governor Fubara gave the explanation after he inspecting the 15.24 kilometers long Emohua – Abalama -Tema Junction dual carriageway road project yesterday.
The Governor said: “Is the Assembly quarters not part of my property? Is there anything wrong in going to check how things are going on there?
“You are aware of the developments. We have a new speaker, and I went there to see for my myself how things are. There might be a few things I might want to do there for the good of our people.”
The Governor, who took a walk round the facility, said that he decided to visit the place to get better appreciation of what needs to be done to make the quarters conducive for lawmakers.
Commenting on the road project, Governor Fubara said he was assessing the extent of job that had been done to know what else was needed in preparing the road for commissioning during his one year anniversary.
He said, “As a matter of fact, we added this section of the road as one of the projects we will be commissioning. So, I needed to see it myself, and what is remaining is just the lighting. By the grace of God, we will commission it.”
Governor Fubara pointed out that the road project was inherited from the immediate past administration but a greater chunk of the cost was borne by his administration.
He said: “We feel justified to add it as our project and to commission it for the good of our people here.
“Governance is all about the people. When the people are out of the centre of governance, then it is no longer governance.
“So, this road, as we all now know, was in a very bad state. A lot of criminal activities were being carried out here: kidnapping and all sorts of things. So, putting this road in order is appropriate.”
Governor Fubara said further: “You can see the little manhour we spent coming here. Before, it takes you 30 to 45 minutes to drive from Emohua to this place. But look at it, less than 15 minutes we are here.
“So, it is about the people, the good of the people, making life easy for the people. That is the way I see governance. Anything outside that has nothing to do with me.
“It is not about me. It is not about glory to me as a person. I am just a vessel that God is using to provide succour to the good people of Rivers State, and more especially, our dear people of Kalabari extraction.”

The member representing Bonny State Constituency, Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, has emerged as the new Speaker of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly.
He was elected on Wednesday at 10am during plenary, in line with the Standing Order of the House.
In his acceptance speech, Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, thanked the members for electing him as the new Speaker sequel to the resignation of the former Speaker, Rt. Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie.
Speaking on the floor of the House, Oko-Jumbo said: “This is in line with Section 92(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (CFRN 1999) as Amended.
“You will agree with me that after the House last sat on the 13th of December, 2023, and adjourned sine dine, there has been an avalanche of legislative rascality perpetrated by the 25 former members of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, led by the former Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule.
“These former members, being fully aware of the provisions of Section 109(1)(g) of the CFRN 1999, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Party (APC) on the 11th of December, 2023.
“Consequently, the Rt. Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie-led Assembly, on the 13th of December, 2023, wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declaring the seats of the 25 lawmakers vacant in line with Section 109(1)(g) and (2) of the CFRN 1999.
“My distinguished colleagues, there are a plethora of cases pending in our courts further to the defection of the former lawmakers.”
Rt. Hon. Oko-Jumbo emphasised: “All laws, plenary sessions and actions taken by the illegal House members are hereby declared void and a nullity in the eyes of the law by virtue of the judgment of Lord Denning in the celebrated case of MacFoy v UAC (1961) 3 All ER 1169.
“Lord Denning held in that case that you cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand. Particularly, Lord Denning stated: ‘If an act is void, then it is in law a nullity. It is not only bad, but incurably bad. There is no need for an order of court to set it aside.
“It is automatically null and void without more ado, though it is sometimes more convenient to have the court declare it to be so’.”
Rt. Hon. Oko-Jumbo stated further, that every proceeding which was founded on the activities of the former lawmakers had become ‘bad and incurably bad’.
“You cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stay there. It will collapse”, he added.
The new speaker called on the Executive arm, the Judiciary and the general public to disregard every law purportedly enacted by the illegal Assembly members because they all amount to nothing but an exercise in futility.
He said, “Furthermore, this House would want to most respectfully urge and call on His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, DSSRS, to desist forthwith from further dealings with the 25 former lawmakers, in whatever guise.
“Those members are merely floating and do not have any landing ground or anywhere to berth their ship since their defection to the All Progressives Congress on the 11th of December, 2023.
“This House is the legally and constitutionally recognised House of Assembly by virtue of the defection of the other members, and is ready to receive correspondences from and work with His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara. Distinguished colleagues, let me thank you once again.
“I know I can count on your unalloyed and unwavering support as we work with His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara in moving our dear Rivers State forward in promoting the progress and welfare of the State.”
Speaking to newsmen after the 10am sitting of the House, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, said he will stay true to his constitutional duties and work assiduously for the growth and development of Rivers people and the State.
“We will sit again, and communicate our proceedings to the public and make sure that we are doing what we ought to do to ensure there is transparency and clarity of leadership of the 10th Legislative Assembly.”
Also speaking, the newly elected Leader of the House, Hon. Sokari Goodboy Sokari said: “As the chairman of the business committee in the 10th Assembly, as you’ve heard our speaker say, we will work in line with set goals to achieve synergy with the Executive.
“But away from that, we want to further warn that if His Excellency, the Governor ever have any dealing with those former members, we, the original members of the 10th Assembly, who by the provisions of the Constitution, form the quorum to address legislative business of the day, will have no choice than to raise the gavel, which is to commence impeachment proceedings against him.”
He, therefore, urged the Governor of the State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, to cooperate and work in tandem with the legitimate members of the 10th Assembly to ensure the delivery of good governance and quality dividends of democracy to Rivers people, who have bestowed their trust and mandate on them at this time.
Meanwhile, the new Speaker was led to the plenary with the original mace of the Rivers State House of Assembly by the Sergeant-at-Arms, David Wariboko, who managed the last sitting of the Amaewhule-led Assembly in the same position.