NFF to hire foreign technical adviser for Super Eagles

FILE: Nigeria’s players pose ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2023 semi-final football match between Nigeria and South Africa at the Stade de la Paix in Bouake on February 7, 2024. (Photograph: Issouf SANOGO / AFP)

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will hire an expatriate technical adviser for the Super Eagles after the team’s dismal outing in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Nigeria have failed to win a match out of four games in the qualification series, the latest being a shocking loss to the lowly Benin Republic in their last clash. The development triggered a backlash from fans calling for Finidi George’s sack.
Days after the loss, the NFF in a Thursday communique following a meeting, said the appointment of the technical adviser would come “in the coming weeks” and apologised to Super Eagles’ fans for the team’s outings in recent days.

“The Executive Committee of Nigeria Football Federation held a meeting on Wednesday, 12th June 2024 in hybrid mode to deliberate on important issues in Nigeria Football and resolved as follows:

“The Executive Committee wholeheartedly apologized to Nigerians for the dismal output and subsequent very poor returns of the Senior Men National Team, Super Eagles, in four out of 10 matches in the ongoing qualification series for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, and pledged to work assiduously and put necessary measures in place to ensure a better-prepared squad ahead of the AFCON 2025 qualifiers in September this year and the resumption of the World Cup qualifiers in March 2025,” the NFF said.

“Further to (1) above, the Executive Committee resolved to employ an expatriate Technical Adviser for the Super Eagles in the coming weeks, ahead of the AFCON qualifiers and the remaining FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.”

It is, however, unclear what role Finidi will play in the Super Eagles going forward.

The NFF also “expressed displeasure with the poor attitude of some of the players to the national assignment, and unanimously decided in favour of a more robust scouting programme of outstanding Nigeria-eligible players from across the four corners of the universe, who can add tremendous value to the nation’s flagship team”.

Away from the Super Eagles, the football body promised to support the Super Falcons in their preparations for the Olympics taking place in France from 24th July – 11th August.