Super Eagles icon warns: NFF's treatment of Finidi spells trouble for local coaches

• The Super Eagles from Nigeria currently do not have a permanent head coach following the departure of Finidi George.
• The 53-year-old resigned after rumors emerged that the Nigerian Football Association was considering parting ways with him.
• Former Nigerian striker Victor Ezeji commented on what Finidi's treatment could mean for other local coaches.

While the appointment of Finidi George as coach of the Super Eagles was met with great enthusiasm, his departure from the position was anything but celebratory.

Following mixed reactions to the two matches he refereed, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) issued a statement on the appointment of a technical advisor.

The communiqué, which sparked considerable debate in the Nigerian football community, effectively marked the end of Finidi's tenure as national coach, even though no official announcement was made.

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Finidi resigned from his post just 47 days after his appointment and took up a new role with Rivers United in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

In the wake of these developments and as the NFF looks for a new manager for the Super Eagles, former Nigerian national team striker Victor Ezeji has commented on the handling of Finidi’s situation.

Ezeji talks about Finidi’s situation

In an interview with Legit.ngThe former Nigerian striker commented on the situation with the 53-year-old as follows:

“For me, the treatment of Finidi is no different from what we currently see with local players. The current and previous NFF boards have little respect for our local players and coaches. If they had the opportunity to hire a foreigner to manage our youth teams, they would do so. It is only the lack of sponsors and funds that limits them.

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And that's not good. We need to nurture our talents. If we don't nurture them and give them the opportunity to develop, who will give them those opportunities? No one will.

We have seen our local coaches doing very well with the clubs in the NPFL but nobody gives them a chance. All the foreign coaches that the NFF has hired since Stephen Keshi's tenure have not achieved anything significant with the team.”

The former Club Africain striker’s words seem to reflect the opinion of many stakeholders and fans across the country’s football circuit who are far from happy with the manner in which the NFF parted ways with Finidi.

The Super Eagles currently do not have a permanent head coach and reports have recently emerged that the Football Association is looking to hire an interim coach.

Shortlist for interim coach emerges

Legit.ng Another report detailed that the NFF has compiled a shortlist of interim coaches to lead the Super Eagles during the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualification series.

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This shortlist includes several local coaches who previously worked for the national team.

Source: Legit.ng