Nigeria have appointed Finidi George as their new head coach.
The 53-year-old, who played for Ajax, Ipswich Town, Real Mallorca and Real Betis during his playing career, was announced as Jose Peseiro’s replacement by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Monday.
Peseiro was in charge of Nigeria at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) where they reached the final but lost 2-1 to the hosts Ivory Coast. Peseiro managed the side for 22 months in total and left in February when his contract expired.
George was part of Peseiro’s backroom staff and looked after the team on an interim basis for their friendlies against Ghana and Mali in March. He has also been the head coach of Nigerian top-flight side Enyimba since September 2021.
George won the Eredivisie title and Champions League during his spell with Ajax as a player and was a member of Nigeria’s squad which lifted the AFCON trophy in 1994.
He made 26 Premier League appearances for Ipswich during the club’s last top-flight campaign, scoring six goals.
George’s main responsibilities will be ensuring Nigeria qualify for the next edition of AFCON, which is due to take place in Morocco in 2025, and the 2026 World Cup. His first official matches as head coach will be their World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin in June.
(Photo by PA Images via Getty Images)
