NFF Silent on Finidi George’s Resignation Amid Calls for Amunike, Siasia

It has been one week since Finidi George resigned as head coach of the Super Eagles.

Since then, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has not publicly confirmed receipt of his resignation letter. The only comment from the NFF came from its president, Ibrahim Gusau, who claimed he was unaware of Finidi’s resignation, stating, “Not yet aware.”

However, it is certain that Finidi has left his position. The former Nigeria international stepped down after the NFF announced that it would appoint an “expatriate technical adviser” due to the team’s poor performances in the 2026 World Cup qualifying series. The Super Eagles have only managed three points from a possible 12 and are currently fifth in the six-team Group C, putting their qualification hopes in jeopardy.

Despite the NFF’s intention to hire a foreign coach, there has been debate in football circles about giving another local coach a chance. Nwosu Michael Izuchukwu, a podcaster and digital marketer, argues that it’s time to move on from nostalgia and hire a foreign coach. He points out that Stephen Keshi, who had success with the Super Eagles, had prior experience coaching Togo. Izuchukwu believes no current local coach has similar experience.

Advocates for local coaches highlight the poor performance of recent foreign coaches, though Izuchukwu notes that Gernot Rohr, who recently defeated the Eagles with Benin Republic, had a successful stint with the Super Eagles. Izuchukwu asserts, “If Rohr was still our coach, we would be in pole position to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. He didn’t play the most beautiful football, but African football is raw and exciting because of its passion.”

Since Finidi’s resignation, various coaches, both local and foreign, have been linked to the role. Izuchukwu surprisingly favors Emmanuel Amunike for the job, stating, “The safest option would be Amunike. The majority of the public seem to think he’s the best man for the job locally. Now that Finidi has resigned, we might as well give it to Amunike since we don’t have the means to look outside our borders.”

Regarding Samson Siasia, whose FIFA ban ends in August, Izuchukwu is adamant: “I don’t want that man anywhere near the national team. Isn’t he the reason we didn’t qualify for the last World Cup?”