Victor Ikpeba Weighs In on Finidi George’s Appointment As Nigeria Coach

• Finidi George has been appointed as Nigeria's coach
• The 52-year-old was part of Jose Peseiro's staff
• Victor Ikpeba has explained why Finidi was appointed

On Monday, Nigerians discovered that Finidi Geroige will be leading the national football team after weeks of searching for Jose Peseiro's replacement.

Former Super Eagles star, Victor Ikpeba, has shared his thoughts on the appointment.

Before Finidi's hiring, there were rumours that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had settled on a local coach. Those rumours turned out to be true.

The 52-year-old was part of Peseiro's backroom staff for 22 months. He helped the Super Eagles reach the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.

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Nigeria made an unexpected run to the final but suffered a painful defeat to hosts Ivory Coast. With the country boasting some of the best players in the world, Finidi has been tasked with leading the team to glory at the 2025 AFCON.

Finidi coached the Super Eagles in an interim capacity during the March international break. He oversaw their first win over Ghana since 2006.

Ikpeba on Finidi's appointment

Ikpeba and Finidi were on the Nigerian team that won the 1994 AFCON. The former Monaco congratulated his compatriot for getting the job.

“Firstly, I want to congratulate Finidi George on his appointment as the Super Eagles coach. However, it was a difficult task because we (technical committee) initially wanted a foreign manager," he said via Complete Sports.

He reiterated that Nigeria wanted to hire a foreign coach, but finances were insufficient.

“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."

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Finidi's first competitive task as head coach will be leading the Super Eagles against South Africa and Benein in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Nigerians react to Finidi's appointment

Sports Brief earlier reported on Nigerians reacting to Finidi's appointment as Super Eagles head coach.

Most Nigerians welcomed the choice, but others were sceptical about the route the NFF took by hiring their former player.