Dutch Eredivisie powerhouse, Ajax and Spanish La Liga club, Real Betis, took to their X handles on Tuesday to celebrate their former Nigerian winger, Finidi George, who turned 54.
Betis shared a simple yet heartfelt message, “Happy birthday, Finidi.”
Ajax, on their part, posted, “Happy birthday, Finidi George!”
Finidi, born in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, began his football journey in Nigeria with clubs like Calabar Rovers, Iwuanyanwu Nationale (now Heartland FC), and Sharks before his big move to Ajax in 1993.
His time in Amsterdam was hugely successful as he played a key role in a golden era for Ajax, winning three consecutive Eredivisie titles (1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96), two Johan Cruyff Shields (1994, 1995), and the prestigious UEFA Champions League in 1994–95.
He also added a UEFA Super Cup (1995) and an Intercontinental Cup (1995) to his trophy haul.
On July 10, 1996, Finidi made a switch to Spain, signing with Real Betis. His debut season (1996–97) was impressive, helping the club secure a fourth-place finish in La Liga.
That same season, Betis reached the Copa del Rey final, narrowly losing 3-2 to Barcelona after extra time, Finidi scored one of the goals in that thrilling encounter.
Following Betis’ relegation in 2000, he had a brief stint with Mallorca before moving to the English Premier League to join Ipswich Town in 2001.
He made an early impact, scoring a brace in a 3–1 victory over Derby County. However, his time in England didn’t go as planned, as Ipswich suffered relegation and Finidi was released in June 2003.
He later returned to Mallorca for a short period after a trial in November of that same year.
On the international stage, Finidi debuted for Nigeria in 1991 during a 1992 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Burkina Faso, delivering three assists for the late Rashidi Yekini and also getting on the scoresheet in a commanding 7–1 win.
He famously scored the crucial equalizer in a 1-1 draw against Algeria, a goal that secured Nigeria’s historic qualification for their first FIFA World Cup in 1994.
Finidi was instrumental in Nigeria’s 1994 AFCON triumph and featured in multiple tournaments, including the 1992, 2000, and 2002 AFCONs, as well as the 1994 and 1998 World Cups.
In September 2021, he took over as head coach of Enyimba and led the Aba giants to Nigeria Premier League glory on June 11, 2023, at the Onikan Stadium in Lagos, his first major coaching title.
By April 2024, Finidi was appointed as head coach of the Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles. He oversaw two competitive fixtures in that role, 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic.
Prior to becoming the head coach, Finidi had served as assistant to Jose Peseiro and had a memorable stint as interim coach, leading the Super Eagles to a 2-1 win over long-time rivals Ghana, a result that ended an 18-year winless run against the Black Stars.
