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By: Godwin Aikigbe
Former Nigeria striker Peter Ijeh has explicitly explained what new Super Eagles head coach Finidi George must do to make the difference, Punch Sports Extra reports.
Corroborating the opinion of most ex-internationals on Finidi’s appointment in a chat with our correspondent, the Sweden-based tactician said he was delighted with Finidi’s appointment, which ended the reliance on neophyte foreign managers who added no value to the team.
He, however, tasked the former Enyimba coach to go beyond teaching the skills to prioritising reshaping the team’s character and development with emphasis on values like discipline, respect, sportsmanship, integrity, and perseverance.
“Unveiling Finidi George as the new head coach of the Nigerian men’s national team, the Super Eagles, is a win-win for Nigeria. Twelve years of decoration as a foreign coach with no building blocks to develop and giving experiences to Nigerian-born coaches is error 2.0,” Ijeh, who possesses a UEFA advanced licensed certificate and was capped five times by Nigeria, said.
“After more than a decade, the team is not yet solid enough for a guaranteed World Cup final, which is a waste. It is high time to look inward and discover and develop our brand,” added the former Vårgårda IK of Sweden manager.
“I am happy Finidi got the job; I hope he starts thinking outside the box about what he’ll be bringing to the table to make it different from the others.
“His influence should go beyond teaching the skills; it also extends to personal development, reshaping the team’s character and development, and emphasising values like discipline, respect, sportsmanship, integrity, and perseverance.”
Finidi was unveiled by the Nigeria Football Federation as the new Super Eagles head coach on May 13, replacing Jose Peseiro, whose contract with the football body expired with the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, where they finished as runners-up behind the host nation.
He is assisted by Daniel Amikachi, Benjamin James, Olatunji Baruwa, Chima Onyeike and Mehmet Ozturk.
His first assignment will be the 2026 World Cup qualifier against Bafana Bafana of South Africa in June.