Under fire Super Eagles coach, Finidi George, has criticized the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) for not providing adequate support, highlighting issues of player discipline and commitment in the senior national team.
Finidi expressed his frustration over the Super Eagles’ faltering 2026 World Cup campaign during a meeting with NFF officials and Sports Minister John Enoh in Abuja,
The team recently drew 1-1 with South Africa in Uyo and suffered a shocking 2-1 defeat to Benin in Abidjan.
According to SaharaReporters, Finidi specifically pointed to Victor Osimhen, the poster boy of Nigerian football, as an example of the country’s top stars lacking full commitment to the Super Eagles.
Osimhen missed the crucial World Cup qualifiers due to an injury, but Finidi argued that the Napoli striker could have still managed to play.
“The coach went on to say that it appears that Osimhen chooses the games he plays for Nigeria and he (Finidi) cannot beg him to play for his country.”
The former Enyimba coach also lamented the breakdown of discipline within the team, expressing disappointment over how players casually strolled into the training camp for the crucial qualifiers.
He claimed that many players had the backing of powerful NFF Board members, making it difficult to sanction them. “It was impossible to sanction some players who belong to some ‘big men,'” Finidi stated.
Calls for Finidi’s dismissal by angry football enthusiast across the country following poor performances in matches under his leadership, leaving the teams’ hopes of qualification to the World Cup hanging in the balance.
To remedy the situation, NFF has announced plans to scout for a foreign technical adviser, who will oversee the remaining World Cup qualifying matches for the Super Eagles.