Nigeria interim coach Finidi George has urged the Super Eagles to maintain their winning mentality from beating Ghana, as they prepare to face Mali in their second international friendly.
Finidi enjoyed a winning start to his stint as caretaker coach, with the Super Eagles recording a 2-1 victory over the Black Stars last Friday.
The Enyimba coach came out of the game with impressive feedback from fans and pundits alike, and was later even backed by forward Kelechi Iheanacho to be handed the job permanently.
With Nigeria set to take on Mali in their next friendly on Tuesday, Finidi has called on his players to strive to make it two wins from two.
Super Eagles cannot dwell on injuries
The Super Eagles are currently facing an injury crisis, as they played against Ghana without Victor Osimhen, William Troost-Ekong and Ola Aina.
Tyronne Ebuehi and Gabriel Osho also had to withdraw from the squad, while Kenneth Omeruo did not play against the Black Stars after suffering an injury.
George, however, noted that his side cannot dwell on the injuries they’re facing and admonished the Super Eagles to aim to maintain momentum when they face Mali in their next friendly.
“We cannot at this time be dwelling on the injuries and absences that we have to cope with. Our intention has always been to win these two matches and then look forward to the World Cup qualifiers in June,” the Super Eagles’ interim coach said.
“We are determined to keep up the momentum and sustain the winning mentality derived from beating the Black Stars.”
Nigeria are using the March international break to warm up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June. The Super Eagles had no wins in their opening two qualifying matches and will face South Africa and Benin in June.
