The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has said it will employ the services of a foreign technical adviser “in the coming weeks”, ahead of the start of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers in September and resumption of 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
This comes after Super Eagles’ poor performances under new head coach Finidi George. Finidi, who was unveiled as the substantive gaffer of the senior national team last month, has failed to win a game in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers so far.
In his first game in charge of the team, the Eagles could only manage a draw against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa last Friday, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
The team was expected to get a win against Benin Republic at Stade Felix Houphouex-Boigny in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, three days later. However, they suffered a 2-1 loss to the Cheetahs who recorded their first-ever win in history against the three-time African champions in the encounter.
There was a national outcry over the poor results posted by the team, which prompted the minister of sports development Senator John Enoh, to summon the leadership of the NFF.
Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico is hanging by a thread, as they are fifth in a six-team group.
In a Communique released on Thursday evening, after a meeting of the NFF Executive Committee on June 12, the highest decision making in the federation apologized to Nigerians over the disappointing results of the last few days. While promising to equip the NFF technical department with more competent hands, it berated the attitude of some Eagles players to national duty as seen in the last World Cup qualifiers.
“The Executive Committee wholeheartedly apologized to Nigerians for the dismal output and subsequent very poor returns of the Senior Men National Team, Super Eagles, in four out of 10 matches in the ongoing qualification series for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, and pledged to work assiduously and put necessary measures in place to ensure a better-prepared squad ahead of the AFCON 2025 qualifiers in September this year and the resumption of the World Cup qualifiers in March 2025,” the statement partly reads.
“Further to (1) above, the Executive Committee resolved to employ an expatriate Technical Adviser for the Super Eagles in the coming weeks, ahead of the AFCON qualifiers and the remaining FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.
“Still further to (1) above, the Committee resolved to beef up the NFF Technical Department with more qualitative hands. Equally, the Technical and Development Sub-Committee will be re-jigged with immediate effect.
“Notwithstanding the challenges that attended the team’s preparations for the Day 3 and Day 4 games of the FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, owing to a 38-hour nationwide industrial action, the Board expressed displeasure with the poor attitude of some of the players to the National Assignment, and unanimously decided in favour of a more robust scouting programme of outstanding Nigeria-eligible players from across the four corners of the universe, who can add tremendous value to the nation’s flagship team.
“The Executive Committee also resolved that a Stakeholders’ Forum be convened in a few weeks’ time, to deliberate on amendments to the current NFF Statutes, in conjunction with world football-governing body, FIFA.”
Those present in the meeting include the NFF president Ibrahim Musa Gusau; Felix Anyansi-Agwu (1st Vice President); Gbenga Elegbeleye (2nd Vice President); Yusuf Ahmed.
