Why we ‘settled’ for Finidi as head coach —Ikpeba

A member of the technical committee that oversaw the selection process for the Super Eagles coaching position, Victor Ikpeba has disclosed reasons why Finidi George was chosen.

George was on Monday announced as the new Super Eagles coach following the departure of Jose Peseiro after the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in February.

Ikpeba said the technical committee had to ‘settle’ for George for financial reasons.

Ripples Nigeria recalls that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has often owed coaches of the national team, with sponsors sometimes coming to their rescue.

Speaking in Monday Night Football on Super Sports, Ikpeba stated that the team wanted a foreign coach to build upon what Peseiro had done, but the NFF settled for George because of finances.

Read Also: Finidi George takes over as Super Eagles head coach

“Firstly, I want to congratulate Finidi George on his appointment as the Super Eagles coach,” said Ikpeba.

“However, it was a difficult task because we (technical committee) initially wanted a foreign manager.

“However, we settled for Finidi because of the finance.

“It’s not like we don’t have confidence in our own coaches back home. We thought there should be continuity in the way Peseiro took the team to the final of the 2023 AFCON. So, eventually, we were guided by the NFF President to look inward.

“It’s not that we can’t afford a foreign manager, but Nigerians back home want a Nigerian coach, and that is what we have now.”

Finidi will be leading the Super Eagles to two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and Benin Republic in Uyo and Abidjan, respectively, in June.

The Super Eagles are in third place in Group C of the African campaign behind Rwanda and South Africa.

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