Super Eagles Players Left Unhappy With Finidi George After Ghana, Mali Fixtures: Report

Super Eagles Players Left Unhappy With Finidi George After Ghana, Mali Fixtures: Report

Ero Samson
updated at March 28, 2024 at 5:03 PM
In this article:
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Nigeria
Nigeria
21
Super Eagles logo
Super Eagles
South Africa
Ghana logo
Ghana
Ghana
24
Mali logo
Mali
Mali
23
Sadiq Umar logo
S. Umar
Real Sociedad logoFNigeria logo
Kelechi Iheanacho logo
K. Iheanacho
Leicester City logoFNigeria logo
Kenneth Omeruo logo
K. Omeruo
Kasimpasa logoDNigeria logo
  • Finidi George was recently named interim coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria
  • The former Real Betis man was in charge of the friendlies against Ghana and Mali
  • A report of a few players being unhappy with the interim gaffer has recently surfaced

Talks surrounding the performance and how well Finidi George handled the Nigerian team as the interim coach continue to reverberate across Nigeria's footballing community.

The 52-year-old, currently saddled with the responsibility of leading the team until a permanent head coach is named by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), recently oversaw two fixtures against Ghana and Mali.

Nigeria, Finidi George, Super Eagles, Coach, CAF, NFF, Sadiq Umar
A report of a few players being unhappy with Finidi George has emerged. Image: Haykel Hmima.
Source: Getty Images

However, while many fans and stakeholders have continued to scrutinise and air their opinions regarding the prowess and ability of the former Real Betis star to coach the Super Eagles team, a report of a rift between a select group of players and the interim coach has surfaced.

Super Eagles players unhappy with Finidi

According to a report from media outlet Brila.net, select players of the Nigerian team, including Sadiq Umar and two others who remain unidentified, are reportedly displeased with the interim coach.

The report highlights that their displeasure stems from being unused in both fixtures the Super Eagles played during the March international window.

Specifically, the report notes that Sadiq declined a handshake from coach Finidi and stormed off the pitch after being left on the bench for the entire encounter against Ghana.

The Real Sociedad star, who missed out on the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) due to injury, has struggled to find form this season. According to data from Fotmob, the Nigerian striker has only scored three goals in his 35 appearances so far this season.

This reported rift within the Nigerian team camp comes shortly after a number of Super Eagles players, including Kenneth Omeruo and Kelechi Iheanacho, openly backed coach Finidi to continue as manager of the team and expressed overall satisfaction with his leadership.

Adepoju backs Finidi

In a recent report, Sports Brief stated that former Nigerian midfielder, Mutiu Adepoju has backed Coach Finidi.

The former Real Madrid midfielder emphasised the importance of continuity for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and urged the federation to stick with the 52-year-old.

Authors
Ero Samson photo
Ero Samson
Samson Ero is a sports journalist with a track record of over five years in the Nigerian media industry. He graduated from Nigerian Institute of Journalism (2021-2023).
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Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)