The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has come out in defense of its decision to appoint former international winger Finidi George as the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles. George's appointment was made following the recommendation of the NFF's Technical and Development Committee.
Felix Owolabi, a member of the technical committee and a former Nigeria International, explained that George was selected due to his extensive knowledge of the domestic league. Owolabi emphasized the importance of having an indigenous coach leading the national team, highlighting that the future of Nigerian football lies in promoting local talent from the domestic league.
Owolabi praised George's current role as the coach of Enyimba, one of Nigeria's top clubs, noting that George's team is among the top four in the league. He believes George's understanding of the local football landscape will drive improvements in the standard of the league and increase the representation of local players in the national team.
However, not everyone is pleased with the NFF's handling of George's appointment. Former international player Sam Sodje criticized the federation for not disclosing George's contract terms and emoluments, as they would have done for a foreign coach. Sodje believes this lack of transparency reflects poorly on George and local-based coaches in general, suggesting that the NFF should have provided more details about George's appointment to uphold professionalism.
