Mali may well have dashed the hopes of Finidi George heading the Super Eagles top coaching post on a permanent basis after they handed his team a 2-0 defeat tonight.
Les Aigles of Mali profited from a horrendous defensive mistake by the Super Eagles to take the lead on 18 minutes through striker Bilal Toure.
They doubled their advantage late in the friendly in Marrakesh, Morocco, when they finished off a fast counter attack as Nigeria chased for an equalizer.
Finidi was handed a chance to stake a serious claim for the Eagles top job after Jose Peseiro did not continue after guiding the team to the AFCON Final last month.
He won his first friendly last week against Ghana 2-1, before the capitulation against the Eagles from Bamako tonight.
The NFF are expected to soon announce a new head coach for the country’s football team.
Substitute Cyriel Dessers failed to put away Nigeria’s best chance of the night in the 64th minute, when he sprinted clear of the Mali defence and came face-to-face with Mali goalkeeper, only to shoot well off the target.
Dessers was a replacement for Moses Simon, who was rushed to hospital after he suffered what looked like a serious injury in the 31st minute.
Super Eagles starting XI (3-5-2)
Nwabali- Omeruo, Awaziem, Ajayi – Osayi-Samuel, Jamilu Collins, Ndidi, Onyedika (Ademola Lookman), Iwobi – Moses Simon (Dessers 32), Iheanacho
The NFF wasted the FIFA window by not seizing the opportunity to run the rule on new players like Igoh Ogbu,Akor Adams,Gift Orban,Chuba Akpom,Onuche Ogbelu,Yira Sor ,Tolu Arokodare ,Elijah Adebayo etc. Out of the two new players called up, Gabriel Osho withdrew while Benjamin Tanimu ,who players in lowly Tanzanian league,was used in the first game against Ghana. Apart from trying out new formations , friendly games are used to test new players. If you fail to call up new players for friendly games,is it during the competitive fixtures that you’ll invite them? The NFF should name a permanent coach for the Super Eagles immediately and preparations for the World Cup qualifiers in June should begin in earnest.