I wasn’t wanted, Finidi George reveals disrespect, betrayal by NFF

Former Super Eagles coach, Finidi George, has opened up about the circumstances surrounding his departure from the Nigerian national team, revealing how a lack of support from the Nigeria Football Federation contributed to his decision to resign in June, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports Tuesday.

Finidi, who replaced Jose Peseiro after the Africa Cup of Nations was in charge for just two games before stepping down.

His short stint saw a 2-2 draw against South Africa in Uyo and a 1-2 loss to Benin Republic in the World Cup Qualifiers.

While the Super Eagles bounced back with a commanding 3-0 victory over the Benin Republic under interim coach Austin Eguavoen—who is also the team’s technical director—Finidi’s comments shed light on the struggles he faced during his final days as head coach.

The interim manager, however, on Tuesday was held to a dour draw in Kigali, Rwanda.

In a candid interview with Nigeria Info, Finidi, now coaching Nigeria Premier League side Rivers United, explained the mounting pressure and lack of institutional backing ultimately led to his exit.

“When you don’t win games, there’s pressure. We were expected to draw one game and win one, and that would have been much better because the difference in points wouldn’t have been much. But drawing against South Africa and losing to the Benin Republic, that’s not good enough,” Finidi said.

However, it wasn’t just the results that drove his decision. Finidi felt let down by the NFF, stating they did not offer the necessary support for him to continue.

“For me, not having the support of the federation (NFF) was not good enough. They would have given me that support, and we would have moved on because the result is the same. The result will not change, but the support from the federation would have been much better. I didn’t get that, only for me to hear that they were looking for a new coach.”

Finidi’s frustrations ran deeper, as he felt disrespected by the lack of communication and transparency within the NFF. This, he said, played a significant role in his decision to step down.

“At that moment, I felt it was a big disrespect from my own part, and I won’t sit down there watching what is happening, what they decided and what they didn’t decide. So I had to quit,” Finidi shared.

He further revealed that a meeting with the sports minister did little to change his mind, as the NFF had already begun the search for his replacement—a foreign coach—without informing him.

“We had a meeting with the minister, and I was expecting in that meeting they would have told me, ‘Coach, we support you despite the results. We have to look for a way forward for better results.’ That would have eased my thinking. But when I didn’t hear that and learned a day before my meeting that they had already held discussions about looking for a new coach, I realised I was not needed.”

Finidi concluded, “Too many things were going on behind my back, and in front of me, nobody came to say, We support you. I just felt I wasn’t given the fullest support, and I won’t be in a place where I’m not wanted. I’m not hungry, so I had to leave.”

There are indications from different quarters demanding that Eguavoen, who is currently at the helm, be made the permanent coach for the Super Eagles.

He was appointed as an emergency replacement to the collapsed deal with German Bruno Labbadia who was expected to replace Finidi.

“In the event, Technical Director of Nigeria Football Federation, Coach Augustine Eguavoen, will now take charge of the Super Eagles for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic (Uyo, September 7) and Rwanda (Kigali, September 10),” the statement announcing his appointment read.