Meet the Coaches Considered by NFF to Lead the Super Eagles Before the Appointment of Finidi, Report

• The Super Eagles of Nigeria are again without a permanent head coach following the surprise departure of Finidi George
• The Nigeria Football Federation had been provided with a shortlist of managers to appoint before appointing the former Enyimba man
• Sports Brief highlights the list of managers reported to have been considered prior to the appointment of the 53-year-old

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) would ultimately settle for the appointment of Finidi George after a protracted search for a suitable replacement for Jose Peseiro.

The 53-year-old, whose appointment was greeted with palpable scepticism, would only be in charge of the Super Eagles for 47 days.

During that time, he oversaw two underwhelming FIFA World Cup qualification fixtures against South Africa and the Republic of Benin.

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However, prior to the appointment of Finidi, a flurry of coaches were linked with taking over the reins as manager of the Nigerian team.

A recent report from the media outlet Score Nigeria detailed that the federation was considering several foreign managers for the Super Eagles before the sudden appointment of Finidi.

In light of this, Sports Brief spotlights the managers being considered by the federation prior to Finidi's appointment.

Coaches NFF considered before appointing Finidi

Antonio Conceicao

The Portuguese coach was highly regarded as a top candidate for the Super Eagles job before Finidi's appointment.

The 62-year-old had achieved notable success with the Cameroonian national team and was eager to continue his coaching career in Africa with the Super Eagles. However, the former Braga manager was ultimately passed over in favour of Finidi.

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Luis Fernandez

According to the report, the French coach was also under consideration by the NFF.

The 64-year-old had enjoyed a highly successful coaching career, managing elite clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain and La Liga's Real Betis.

The veteran manager also brought experience from the African continent, having led the Guinean national team in 2016.

Data from Transfermarkt indicates that Fernandez's distinguished coaching career includes over 10 trophies.

Didier Six

The 69-year-old was another candidate reportedly considered by the federation.

The French gaffer boasts extensive knowledge of African football, having managed the national teams of Togo, Mauritius, and most recently, Guinea.

Six also led several clubs in his native France. According to OwnGoalNigeria, the veteran manager is once again being considered by the NFF for the Super Eagles role.

Joaquin Caparros

The NFF also reportedly considered the Spanish coach before Finidi's appointment.

The well-traveled manager has extensive coaching experience with various teams, including La Liga's Sevilla, where he had three separate stints, and most recently, the Armenian national team.

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The 68-year-old has been without a job since leaving his position with Armenia in 2022.

Miguel Herrera

The Mexican manager was another candidate reportedly considered by the federation before Finidi's appointment.

The 56-year-old coach has enjoyed significant success throughout his career, which began with Atlante FC in 2002.

His most notable achievement is leading Mexico to victory in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

NFF to use Peseiro’s approach for Finidi’s replacement

In another report, Sports Brief detailed that the NFF plans to use a similar approach to appoint Finidi's replacement as they did with Jose Peseiro.

The federation had previously appointed the Portuguese coach without consulting the technical committee members.