Kenneth Omeruo: Super Eagles Defender Explains Why NFF Must Announce New National Team Coach

• Kenneth Omeruo has expressed concerns over the delay in naming the next Super Eagles coach
• The Nigeria Football Federation is expected to name a new manager of the team sometime soon
• Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup resume in June and Nigeria face South Africa and Benin

Super Eagles defender, Kenneth Omeruo, has urged the Nigeria Football Federation to fill the vacant national team coaching position.

Nigeria are without a coach since Jose Peseiro left his role following the end of his contract at the end of February.

A number of tacticians have applied to take up the plum job and reports have suggested the NFF are exploring their options.

Finidi George and Emmanuel Amuneke have been heavily linked with the position, but a foreign manager is being favoured in some quarters.

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers return in June, with the Super Eagles billed to take on South Africa and Benin.

Omeruo, who was part of the squad that finished the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations as runners-up, suggested that time is running out for the NFF.

Nigeria started their World Cup qualifying series on a rather poor note, with successive 1-1 draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.

Speaking with Brila FM, Omeruo stated that the issue of the national team coach needs to be sorted out as quickly as possible. He said, as per African Football:

"We started the World Cup qualifiers poorly, and that’s on us as players, but I do believe we have the quality to qualify for the World Cup.

"But we need to sort out the issue of head coach real quickly because June is just around the corner."

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Finidi George handled the team temporarily in two friendly matches in March. Nigeria defeated Ghana 2-1 and then lost 0-2 to the Eagles of Mali.

Omeruo believes the Enyimba of Aba coach did well despite the overall results and apparent short-staffing.

"I don’t know about everyone, but for me and a few others, he [George] did well. Only one coach working as an analyst, training without an assistant.

"I like that he kept the same system we used at the AFCON. But against Mali, I would have played everyone; give everyone a chance to play, and maybe things would have turned out differently."

The Nigerian defender also stated his believe that George was the right man for the job.

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Nigerian football administrators have continued to search for a coach after the departure of Portuguese tactician, Peseiro, whose deal expired in February.

Although there are reportedly two front-runners for the Super Eagles coaching job, the ex-NFF boss appears to have cast his lot in with the interim manager.