Super Eagles assistant coach to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, George Finidi, and five others have been listed as potential replacement for Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro who vacated the post last month.
According to the Nation, an official privy to the arrangement made this known.
Many local and foreign coaches reportedly applied for the Super Eagles job, which is often considered as one of the most sought-after portfolios in Africa.
Meanwhile, a high-placed source at the Nigeria Football Federation Technical Committee, who is in charge of the screening of the list of applicants, has revealed that Finidi, who will be leading out the Super Eagles in the upcoming international friendly against Mali and Ghana this week, is one of the names already mentioned for the job.
He did not, however, gave details of the five other names on the exclusive list, noting that the it is only NFF mandated to reveal who and who is being considered for Nigeria’s Super Eagles’ coach.
He stated further that it’s the NFF Executive Board that will eventually decide who gets the job.
“There’s nothing much I can tell you now, but the good thing is that we have shortlisted six names for the NFF to pick one,” an official said.
Before now, some of the high profile former Nigeria international stars being linked to the job included former African Footballer of the Year Emmanuel Amuneke, erstwhile national team captain and coach Sunday Oliseh, Finidi, as well as Daniel Amokachi, among others.
Yet, the impeccable source was not categorical about the others on the list, aside from Finidi. The Enyimba International FC coach that assisted Peseiro at the 2023 AFCON where Nigeria came second behind hosts Cote d’Ivoire after losing 2-1 in the final match.
“What I can tell you now is that Finidi is one of the six shortlisted names good enough to coach the Super Eagles,” he said. “Others?
“No, wait for the NFF to disclose the names of the five others,” he thundered.
However, Basic Sports in Nigeria, BSN Sports, are claiming that Amuneke has already been recommended by the NFF Technical Committee as the new manager of the Super Eagles, while Finidi would serve as his assistant.
It also said that veteran cadet trainer, coach Manu Garba, has been picked to lead the national U-17 team, the Golden Eaglets, yet again.
