Former African Footballer of the Year Victor Ikpeba has said Finidi George has the full support of the NFF to remain as Super Eagles coach even as the country’s hopes to qualify for the 2026 World Cup are hanging by a thread.
This declaration comes amid mounting calls for Finidi to be sacked.
Nigeria languish second from bottom of Group C with three points from four matches after Finidi drew his first official game in charge of the team with South Africa, before he lost 2-1 to Benin.
“Nigerians asked for a local coach and Finidi was found to be the best man to lead the Super Eagles at this time,” stated Ikpeba, a member of the NFF technical committee.
“The technical committee chose the best in the interest of the country.
“Finidi will therefore continue to enjoy the full support of the NFF despite the recent results posted by the Super Eagles.”
Ikpeba continued: “Mathematically, the Super Eagles can still qualify for the World Cup, it’s not over for us.
“We can win our remaining six matches next year to qualify for the World Cup.”
The former AS Monaco therefore demanded the players step up to do this.
“The players have become too comfortable, they now have to step up and take full responsibility,” he urged.
“The talent is there in the team for them to turn things around next year.
“History will be kind to them when they fight back and qualify Nigeria.
“We missed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and it was a special tournament.
“The next World Cup to be hosted by the United States of America, Canada and Mexico will be even much more special and they cannot afford to miss it.”
The Super Eagles will resume the World Cup qualifying series in March 2025 with a trip to group leaders Rwanda before they host bottom team Zimbabwe.
The matches will be played between March 17 and 25.
Why won’t you stand with him, there’s no way you can vomit him now, you people are a wicked bunch of people, yourself first, before Nigeria, that’s why you left Amunike who has tasted battles, for a starter, shame on all of you haters of Nigeria, I want to see how una go qualify, nemesis doesn’t sleep,it has caught up with you
Played two games, lost one, drew the other. I don’t expect anything better because the coach is not hungry for success. A coach hungry for success will follow up players in any part of the globe and do everything possible to have such players plays in his team. But not our national coach.
This seems to be a country where the least knowledgeable person will tell you he or she can be president. Nigeria must look at the caliber of players they have players play in the field and not the coach. How many of the players are world class players? Winning a game depend on the players and not the coach. Now how well is the sport developed in Nigeria how many of the clubs have school for youth where they graduate into the senior team? Nigeria is making one mistake underrating other African Countries forgetting those days are gone.