Super Eagles Legend Rallies Support for Finidi George Ahead of South Africa and Benin Matches

• The Super Eagles of Nigeria will lock horns with both South Africa and the Republic of Benin in June World Cup Qualifiers
• The qualification games will be Finidi George's first official assignment since being named coach of AFCON 2023's runners-up
• An ex-Super Eagles midfielder has rallied support for Finidi ahead of the crunch matches which will determine how far Nigeria goes

Finidi George's first assignment as coach of the Super Eagles is fast on the horizon, as Nigeria will lock horns with both South Africa and Benin Republic in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification series.

The lead-up to these fixtures has continued to be greeted with palpable scepticism among fans of the team, and the squad list released by Coach Finidi has done little to ease these concerns.

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However, ahead of the crucial make-or-break games, former Super Eagles midfielder, Friday Ekpo, has rallied support for the newly appointed manager, stressing the importance of fans backing Coach Finidi.

Ekpo urges support for Finidi

In an interview with media outlet Brila.net, the 54-year-old stressed the importance of supporting Finidi in his debut fixture as manager. He also highlighted the critical tasks of building a solid team and scouting the best talent for the Super Eagles.

"This will be Finidi's first match, so we need to give him ample time to select and pick the very best players, both domestically and internationally, to ensure we have a strong performance in Uyo against South Africa.

Let's support the coach in forming a solid team that can compete effectively in South Africa," he concluded.

The words of the 1992 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) bronze medalist resonate with many stakeholders across the country's footballing community.

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Coach Finidi, who has had to make changes to his final squad list ahead of the clash, will be aiming for victory against Bafana Bafana and will strive to replicate this success three days later against Benin Republic in Ivory Coast.

Finidi makes changes to Nigeria’s squad

Sports Brief in another report stated that Coach Finidi has made changes to Nigeria’s squad for the World Cup qualification games.

The 53-year-old had to make adjustments following Nathan Tella's withdrawal from the team. Finidi also called up Enugu Rangers defender, Obinna Igboke, as a replacement for injured striker, Victor Osimhen.