When the Nigeria Football Federation announced Finidi George as the new head coach of the Super Eagles on 29 April, it marked a significant milestone in his journey with Nigerian football.
The journey to national prominence began for Finidi in 1991 as a Super Eagles player, then in 2022 as an assistant coach, before finally reaching the helm of the national team in 2024 as the Head Coach.
A talented player in his days and unarguably one of the finest wingers to have graced Nigeria, Finidi paid his dues. He won the Africa Cup of Nations as a player in 1994, played at two World Cups (1994 and 1998), and appeared in four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
Finidi George through the years
Long before lighting up Europe, Finidi George was a rising star in Nigeria. Hailing from Port Harcourt, he honed his skills in the Nigerian league, playing for Calabar Rovers and Sharks of Port Harcourt. His talent was evident from a young age, building a strong reputation in the grassroots football scene of Rivers State.
His European adventure began in 1993 when he joined AFC Ajax alongside fellow Nigerian legend Nwankwo Kanu.
Ajax era: A champion is born
Finidi wasted no time showcasing his talent at Ajax. He became a key player in their success, scoring four goals in 27 games during his debut season and contributing to their Eredivisie title win.
This was just the beginning of a remarkable three-year reign. Ajax clinched consecutive league titles and emerged victorious in the prestigious UEFA Champions League, with Finidi alongside compatriot Nwankwo Kanu playing a pivotal role in their 1994-95 triumph over AC Milan.
Real Betis adventure
In July 1996, Finidi embarked on a new chapter, joining Real Betis in Spain for a then-record fee. His time at Betis was defined by stellar performances, consistently finding the net and helping them achieve a remarkable fourth-place finish in La Liga during his first season. A highlight was his goal in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona, though Betis ultimately fell short.
Following Betis' relegation, Finidi continued his Spanish journey with RCD Mallorca. He even had a stint in the English Premier League with Ipswich Town, where he showed flashes of brilliance with a memorable brace against Derby County.
Unfortunately, injuries and the club's relegation cut his time there short. In 2003, he returned to Mallorca, sharing his experience with younger players and helping them achieve a solid mid-table finish.
Finidi's love for the game didn't end on the pitch. After retiring, he went back to Real Betis in 2010 as their director of international football before electing to return to Nigeria. He served as a coach with the U23s before his appointment as an assistant coach and then the head coach of the Super Eagles.
Leading Enyimba to the NPFL title
In September 2021, Nigeria Professional Football League giants Enyimba appointed Finidi George as their new head coach. After a tough first season, he was able to guide his side to the NPFL title the following season through a successful playoff run in Lagos, adding another trophy to his collection.
Though the team was knocked out in the early stages of the inaugural African Football League, they have since improved their form and are currently in third place on the NPFL log. Their title defence is very much on track.
A deserved elevation
His elevation from assistant coach of the Super Eagles under Jose Peseiro to the head coach role marks a new era for the team. It's a well-deserved recognition for a player who has served Nigeria with distinction and has had some very important moments for the national team.
Here are three key moments for Finidi George during his time playing with the Super Eagles.
A debut to remember
July 27, 1991 | Nigeria 7-1 Burkina Faso | AFCON 1992 Qualifier
Three key things happened that day as Nigeria smashed the West African neigbours Burkina Faso at the National Stadium in Lagos.
Firstly, the Eagles recorded one of their biggest wins in an international game hitting Les Etalons with seven goals with the legendary Rashidi Yekini scoring four of those.
The second, though infamous, made the headlines.
The kit manager of the team forgot the shorts the team was to use for the game and this was discovered with barely minutes to the start of the game.
With the notorious Lagos traffic as an impediment, it was impossible to make a dash to the hotel to retrieve them on time for kick-off.
Left with no choice, the Eagles had to cut off their tracksuits into shorts to be able to play and not delay the game. Thirdly and most importantly, it was a debut to remember for Finidi George who came on as a substitute in that game.
Plucked from Calabar Rovers after impressing in the league, he had arguably the best debut by any player at senior level. Finidi was brilliant in that game as he made four assists and scored the seventh goal in a record 7-1 home win for Nigeria in modern times.
His pace, guile and pin-point accuracy ushered in a new dimension to the Super Eagles from that day.
He went on to do great things for Nigeria, appearing at the AFCON in 1992, 1994, 2000 and 2002 as well as two FIFA World Cups in 1994 and 1998.
Finidi’s goal sends Nigeria to their first ever FIFA World Cup
September 8, 1993 | Algeria 1-1 Nigeria | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifier
After navigating a first round World Cup qualifying group that had South Africa, Congo, Sao Tome & Principe and Libya, Nigeria went into the final round of the qualifiers against Ivory Coast and Algeria for the chance to qualify for a first ever FIFA World Cup appearance.
On the final day of the second round of the qualifiers, and with a better goals difference than Ivory Coast who were hot on Nigeria’s tail, the Super Eagles need to avoid defeat away to Algeria to make it to the tournament in the United States for a maiden World Cup appearance. Finidi’s 20th minute strike in a cold night in Algiers was the tonic the Eagles needed.
Emmanuel Amuneke whipped in a cross that was missed by the Algeria defence and Finidi was there to profit from it.
He hit a low shot into the bottom corner as Nigeria took the lead, and even though Algeria equalised in the second half, the Eagles defence held strong for the much-needed point as Finidi became the hero for Nigeria.
That pivotal moment ushered in a golden era for Nigerian football.
Goal at the World Cup and the dog crawl
June 30, 1993 | Greece 0-2 Nigeria | 1994 FIFA World Cup
The Super Eagles went into the 1994 World Cup in the United States as African champions after their AFCON triumph in Tunisia.
The team started the 1994 World Cup with an impressive 3-0 win over Bulgaria on their World Cup debut to send hopes of a first ever second round placing for the Eagles.
That hope was cut short when the Eagles, who scored first against Argentina in the second group match eventually lost the game and were on the verge of bowing out except they get a result in the last group game against the Greeks.
In a very tense game at the Foxboro Stadium in Massachusetts, Nigeria got the breakthrough goal in the 45th minute.
The Super Eagles broke a Greece attack with Emmanuel Amuneke advancing the ball and finding a weighted pass to Finidi George to lob past the Greek goalkeeper to put Nigeria ahead and set the tone for the rest of the game.
He celebrated the goal with the now famous ‘dog crawl’ celebration that has remained in the hearts and minds of Nigerians.
Daniel Amokachi then scored in added time of the second half for Nigeria’s second win at the tournament and progress to the knock-out stages.
More memories for Finidi George?
As Finidi gets set to assume duty as the Super Eagles coach, his first assignment will be to navigate the World Cup qualifiers in June.
The Super Eagles will face South Africa in Uyo on 7 June before making the trip to Abidjan days later to face Benin Republic. Nigeria will be looking to gain points on board after a poor start to the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Two draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe have done little to help Nigeria’s cause of a return to the apex football tournament after failing to qualify for the last edition in Qatar.
Maybe good fortune will smile on Finidi as he hopes to create more memories with the Super Eagles – this time, as a coach.
