With the resumption of the FIFA World Cup 26 qualifiers in June with a double header for the Super Eagles against South Africa and Republic of Benin, Nigerians have yet again urged newly appointed Head coach Finidi George to ensure victories in the upcoming tricky ties to put the country’s dream of making it to the first 48-expanded Mundial a reality, write MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN and TUNDE LIADI…
Prior to the dream debut at USA 1994, Nigeria’s senior men’s national team under different guise as Red Devils, Green Eagles and Super Eagles, had catalogue of missing qualification for the world’s greatest football showpiece-The FIFA World Cup.
But the Super Eagles quickly made it to the next two editions at France 1998 and Japan/Korea 2002 but were shockingly denied to the 2006 edition hosted by Germany. They however, made a detour by qualifying for South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 as well as Russia 2018 World Cup finals.
The Super Eagles could have made it four successive qualifications for Qatar 2022 but were halted by perennial rivals, the Black Stars of Ghana , in a dramatic fashion in the decisive final play-off.
Nigeria picked a goalless draw in the first leg of the playoff played at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi and Nigerians eagerly awaited a positive result in Abuja in the return leg. But it was not to be as the Eagles trailed first before William Troost Ekong equalised from the penalty spot in the second half. The game ended 1-1 as the Black Stars pipped Nigeria to the World Cup ticket.
Having missed the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar, Nigerians are least impressed with the Super Eagles’ poor start to FIFA World Cup 26 to be hosted by United States, Mexico and Canada after they picked just two points from the opening two matches following an identical 1-1 draw against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
It was former Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro that prosecuted both games last year although while newly appointed coach Finidi George was his assistant.
Currently trailed third behind Rwanda (four points) and South Africa (three points), the Super Eagles can stage a comeback as the FIFA World Cup 26 qualifiers get underway in June with a double header against South Africa in Uyo and Republic of Benin in Abidjan.
Ahead of these upcoming tricky fixtures, some experts have counselled that the Super Eagles under George must do things differently in order to make progress towards getting one of the continent’s tickets to the 48-expanded Mundial come 2026.
Former Nigeria international and Ex- Roda JC midfielder, Garba Lawal has urged the Super Eagles to strive for the maximum points in both upcoming World Cup qualifiers even as he advised Finidi to pick players who are businesslike and ready to give 100 percent commitment.
“I think the Super Eagles need to win every game now either home or away,” Garba, a member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Technical & Development Committee, told NationSports.“ It is very important for the team and they cannot afford to give any room for complacency knowing the position they occupy in the group. World Cup is the biggest tournament in the world and it is the desire of every player to participate.
“If called upon, the players want to be there and give everything they have to ensure that Nigeria succeeds in both games. The coach is not new to the terrain.
“He is my friend and I pray for him to succeed. He has our full support,” added the erstwhile Super Eagles’ midfield Trojan and 1996 Olympic Soccer gold medallist; who featured in four AFCON between 2000 and 2006 as well as two FIFA World Cup in 1998 and 2002.
Finland-based former youth international , coach Abdul Aziz Moshood who currently works with Atlantis FC , has equally implored Finidi not to change his stance on getting the right set of players for the two games and not allow unseen forces to incapacitate him knowing that he would get the sticks or the praise after next month’s games.
The former Ponnistus FC, FC Kontu and Dynamo Dresden player challenged the Eagles boss to mentor new set of players to stardom, adding he should be bullish and not afraid to make mistakes in his quest to raise a formidable squad.
“He (Finidi George) should not compromise his integrity,” counselled the 55-year-old vastly experienced coach. “He should do his job and check the players he is inviting, knowing that those that can deliver for him are the ones he should opt for.
“He should look inward too and have the capacity to mentor his players to greater height knowing that there are no ready-made players, he has to build them.
“ He should not be afraid to make mistakes, it goes with the job,” he added.
Meanwhile Kwale-based foremost youth coach, Uche Chukuka, has advised Finidi to stamp his authority as head coach by ensuring that he fashion out the winning formula against South Africa and Benin Republic.
He beckoned the NFF to leave Finidi to do his job without undue interference and he also urged the Eagles coach to be a team player working with his Assistant coaches and taking and comparing notes with them.
“Having secured the job, there is need for him to set the ball rolling immediately, considering that there is little time left to prepare for the World Cup qualifiers coming up next month against South Africa and Republic of Benin. The big question here is : what must Finidi George do differently to secure the World Cup ticket for our dear country?” Chukuka asked rhetorically.
“The first point here is that he, as a matter of MUST, he should be given a free hand to do his job. Undue interference from our football ruling body NFF must be avoided. Of course, he is not working in isolation as he has a team of coaches and others to work with. But imposition of ideas or players of any sort must be avoided.”
Coach Chukuka further warned Finidi not to pick his players for the two upcoming games with sentiments , adding that he should place more premium on players who will be ready to give their all for the country to succeed and not based on their pedigrees and the clubs they play for alone.
He further counselled Finidi to beam his searchlight on the Nigerian league and fish out a few quality players that can help make the senior national team more competitive.
He continued: “His choice of players to be invited should not be based on sentiment. He should be objective and base invitation strictly on current form of players.
“And also, players don’t have to be invited based on pedigree as to how big the club they play for in Europe is. There may be better players out there who may not have gotten the opportunity to hit the limelight.
“So, he should spread the net of his search to cover smaller leagues in Europe and other continents and even in the Nigerian League as there may be one or two very exceptional players who might give the old players a run for the Super Eagles shirt. Finidi himself was a product of such a scenario where he was picked ahead of foreign players while still playing in our local league, Sharks FC of Port Harcourt, to be precise.”
The coach also wants Finidi’s tactics to be spot on unlike his predecessor, Jose Peseiro whose tactics was predictable and made the players suffer unnecessarily just like it was at the 2023 AFCON in Cote d’ivoire.
He noted: “Another important factor is the issue of his tactical approach. His approach should be a departure from what we saw from our Super Eagles in the last Nations Cup where we always allowed our opponents to dominate possession only to rely on counterattacks.”
“Our approach was too one dimensional and boring. Good enough, one of our opponents next month, South Africa met us in the Nations Cup. We have seen that they can keep the ball. We must strive to be the ones dominating play and not the other way round.
“In football, coaches are expected to adopt tactics that suit the quality of players they have. We have quality players who are very comfortable on the ball in that they have very good techniques. Our tactics should reflect this to have advantage over our opponents.”
He also wants Finidi to have a new look Super Eagles with attractive attacking football :”Aside possession, our new Gaffer should bring in a more positive approach of being more attack minded. We must play purposefully to put pressure on opponents. Most teams that excel in modern football adopt this positive approach and it makes opponents who are not prepared enough for their pressure to buckle with time.
“Our players should also be made to express themselves freely while not losing touch with tactical discipline of reverting from attack to defense and vice versa. He shouldn’t be afraid of failure because such fears could hinder us from going all out. All he needs is to strike a balance between attacking and defending.”
Meanwhile, former Head Coach of Bayelsa United, Richard Bubagha , has challenged Finidi to stick with strictly almost the same set of players that helped Nigeria qualify for the final of the 2023 AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire if he is eager to start his rein impressively.
Bubagha said the only important addition he should make is the injection of Victor Boniface to the attack while ensuring he infuses his own philosophy on the team to ensure the Eagles secure maximum points in both games.
“I think what he needs to do to get it right with the two world cup qualifiers, is to key to the last AFCON players, make few changes n come up with a formidable philosophy that would make the team play both home n away games with ease,” said Bubagha, who also worked with Nigeria National League side, BYT Academicals. “I think Coach Finidi George can do all of that i stated above to win the two games, n also bringing in Boniface to strengthen the attack and his attacking minded philosophy to achieve the needed results.
“Most especially , all hands should be on deck. We should all come out en masse and support Finidi George and our darling Super Eagles to victory.”
Similarly, former Super Eagles defender Godwin Okpara also weighed in his thoughts on what Finidi George should do to light up Nigeria’s World Cup hopes again.
The former PSG defender welcomed the recruitment of George as head coach of the Super Eagles as he called on Nigerians to get behind him and the team to smoothen the Eagles’ quest to relaunch their World Cup Qualifying campaign.
He volunteered: “It’s a good thing for us, especially we ex-internationals. What we are hoping now is for him to deliver and make sure he is successful in this new appointment. He needs everybody’s support and I have that belief that he can do it.
“Nothing is Impossible so far you have that belief in you and experience, exposure and everything; I think he can do it. However, let me stress that Nigerians have to exercise patience. If we don’t have it, we will lose it.”
He continued: “What we need now is to support him so that he can be successful in this position. Look at Senegal, the coach of the team is also an ex-international, Aliou Cissé, how long has he been there? He has been there for so long.
“Despite the fact that they didn’t do well at the last AFCON, they didn’t because of that remove him, this is what we need, if we want to get it right, this is what we need.”
The 51-year-old beckons on the NFF to provide Finidi the enabling environment and instruments to work it that will ease up his work while adding that the football house must not toy with the team’s preparations ahead of both games.
“What he needs now is support. Whatever he needs now they should provide it. We should not wait till when it starts getting to that time we start running here and there. Whatever he needs now they should provide it for him to get the right results. Nigeria is fond of waiting for dying minute before taking action.
“It’s now that we have to start. If they can pass that message to the NFF and whoever is in charge to start now, whatever preparation we are going to do we should start it now for him to be successful.
“Being a new coach, they should give him whatever he needs. That is it. I know as a new coach, he might be thinking that he just got the job and not ask questions, I am not saying he should be confrontational but he shouldn’t be afraid of anyone because he is new on the job. For you to get the right result you have to come out and tell them what you want exactly.”
Football enthusiast and business mogul in Rivers State, Christopher Okonkwo has begged the NFF board not to hesitate in providing enabling environment and good welfare package for Finidi as it was done for the foreign coaches, so that he will be in good frame of mind to do his job effectively.
He warned the NFF against imposition of players and ideas on the new coach and he also advised Finidi to go for the best legs available for the country even if they are all from the same family.
“Besides, I will also plead with NFF, as a matter of fact to refrain from interfering in Coach Finidi’s job, instead, he should be given a free hand to select the best of players whom he trusts that can deliver and by so doing, would be liable to account for anything that will stop the Eagles from winning or qualifying for the World Cup,” Okonkwo noted.
“I want to suggest to Finidi that if he is convinced that eleven (11) players from the same family can represent Nigeria and give us the needed victory, let him go on, instead of this idea of agitation and pandering to quota system in selection of players from different to satisfy quota system, which does not produce the expected good result at the end of the day,” he stated.
