E do well as player, e go do well as coach? – Finidi George first test as Super Eagles coach

Finidi George go face im first major test since dem appoint am as Nigeria head coach wen di Super Eagles go face South Africa and Benin Republic for di 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers on Friday, and Monday next week respectively.

George don already dey in charge of two friendly matches as acting head coach in March, one win over fierce rivals Ghana and one defeat by Mali.

However, di Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) don tok say di two matches wey dey come na "must-win", sake of say Nigeria only manage to get just two points from dia opening two matches in Group C.

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen don dey ruled out sake of injury but George still get plenty beta attackers, including Ademola Lookman wey be di hero as Atalanta win di Europa League, and Victor Boniface, who be di top scorer for Bayer Leverkusen, champions of di Bundesliga for Germany.

Finidi George bin enjoy a wonderful career as a player and since e retire, e don lead Enyimba to win di domestic league title for Nigeria, and e don also spend 20 months as an assistant to former Nigeria boss Jose Peseiro, who bin lead di Super eagles to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations for Ivory Coast.

But wetin Nigeria fans suppose to dey expect from George as chief coach?

A man for di big moments

George wey dem born for di city of Port Harcourt for southern Nigeria, dey widely considered as one of di kontri greatest footballers.

E belong to di popular class of 1994 wey bin win di Nations Cup and still do well for dia first World Cup outing in di United States dat year as dem reach di round of 16.

⁠⁠Di 53-year-old join di Super Eagles for di first time in 1991 and e play a total of 62 matches, wit six goals.

E bin play for three clubs for Nigeria bifor e move to Ajax in 1993 wia e win three Eredivisie titles plus di 1994-95 Uefa Champions League under Louis van Gaal.

"Im na down-to-earth and hard-working player," former Super Eagles team-mate Mutiu Adepoju tell BBC Sport Africa.

"E get good dribbling skills and speed to overtake defenders for di wings."

Many times, George na di man wey dey always turn up for Nigeria for di big moment, na im score di crucial goal wey qualify Nigeria for dia first World Cup finals.

George also provide di assist for Rashidi Yekini to score Nigeria first ever goal at the tournament, against Bulgaria, and e also find di target imself against Greece in a 2-0 win wey make di Super Eagles to finish as group winners ova Argentina and Bulgaria.

In 1996, George comot for Ajax go Spain wia e play wit Real Betis and Real Mallorca, den e go England to join Ipswich Town.

Former Ipswich midfielder Jim Magilton remember a sense of excitement for Portman Road wen di club bin sign di "world class" Nigerian for 2001.

"Finidi must dey for di top 10 African players wey don play di game," Magilton tell BBC Sport Africa.

"Di Ipswich public no fit believe say we don sign a player of im caliber.

"Finidi dey always dey quiet for di dressing room but dat one no mean say im no be leader. Im na man of action rather dan plenty tok.

"E dey tall, but e also dey very athletic and e get dis wonderful way of being able to move."

George play for Nigeria for four Nations Cups, wia dem finish second in 2000 and third in 1992 and 2002.

"Im na accomplished footballer and di players go dey respect am," former Nigeria defender Sam Sodje tell BBC Sport Africa.

"Finidi get good chance wit di quality of players wey dey available for di team but im go need support from di NFF and di players to succeed.

"E know wetin di fans expect from im and e get di capacity to deliver dat."

George backroom staff includes Daniel Amokachi, anoda star of di 1994 side.

Di former Everton striker come back to di Super Eagles afta e don work as assistant to di late Stephen Keshi wen Nigeria bin win di Nations Cup for 2013.

How Nigeria go set up under George?

George career for coaching don dey slow burn compare to when e dey play.

E get experience as coach of di youth teams for Mallorca and Dutch side PEC Zwolle, and e also work as a director of international football for Betis.

For two occasions di NFF overlook am for di coaching role at age-group level but George don already get some success for home turf.

Afta e take charge of Enyimba for September 2021, George bin win im first league title for im second season - despite combining im club role wit im job as assistant to Peseiro.

"E be like a father to us," Enyimba Olorunleke Ojo, one of di three goalkeepers dem invite for di current World Cup qualifiers, tell BBC Sport Africa.

"E dey give room for players to express diasef. E dey relate wit us and dey joke wen e dey necessary but wen e reach to work, e no dey joke. Anything wey e tok, we do.

"E dey encourage and believe in hard work. I believe say im go excel for di national team."

Yet dem bin deny George a place for di bench during both legs of Enyimba African Champions League qualifying matches against Libya Al Ahly Benghazi for July last year, becos e no get di required coaching qualifications. Enyimba bin di tie 4-3 on aggregate.

Former Barcelona winger Emmanuel Amuneke bin dey widely considered a favourite to get di Nigeria job, majorly becos of im success at di Under-17 World Cup for 2015 wit a squad wey include outstanding talents such as Osimhen and AC Milan Samuel Chukwueze.

But sabi pipo describe George as a man wey "sabi Nigerian football", wey be why di NFF put faith on top im mata.

"If you think of di managers wey don coach am and di players im bin play wit, e get a wonderful bank of knowledge and experience," Magilton, wey bi di coach of Cliftonville for Northern Ireland, tok.

"If e fit transfer dat to im players den e no go surprise me say e don enter into management come land beta job wey dey very significant such as di Nigerian national team coach."

George no longer dey able to influence matches wit im own moments of magic for di pitch, but e go now need to find di formula to inspire the Super Eagles back to international football's biggest stage afta di country miss out on Qatar 2022.



Finidi George na assistant to Jose Peseiro for di 2023 Afcon wia di Super Eagles bin lose 2-1 to Ivory Coast for di final match.



Di Super Eagles no qualify for Qatar 2022 World Cup but dem do well for di Nations Cup finals earlier dis year