Former Nigeria and Real Madrid midfielder Mutiu Adepoju believes he’s qualified enough to succeed Finidi George as the next head coach of the Super Eagles.
The Nigeria national team is currently without a coach following the resignation of Finidi in the wake of the team’s uninspiring run of form.
The former Ajax winger had taken over from Jose Peseiro, who guided the Super Eagles to a second-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024) in the Ivory Coast, but struggled to produce results in his four matches in charge, with his only win coming in a friendly against Ghana in March.
The final straw was the Super Eagles’ laboured displays in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June, where they drew at home against South Africa and lost to Benin, leaving them winless in Group C after four rounds of matches.
With Finidi stepping down, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is once again on the hunt for a new head coach, with two-time AFCON winner Herve Renard and former Cameroon boss Antonio Conceicao both linked with the job.
Former Real Madrid man would not turn down Super Eagles job
Calls for an indigenous coach to be appointed have waned this time following Finidi’s unimpressive spell in charge but former Nigeria midfielder Mutiu Adepoju believes he has what it takes to lead the Super Eagles.
The 53-year-old, who was a member of Nigeria’s golden generation that won the 1994 AFCON and qualified for the FIFA World Cup the following year, stated that although he has not managed any team for a while, he is capable of taking the senior national side to the next level.
Adepoju spent three years at Real Madrid, and although he never made a senior appearance, he is confident that he can follow in the footsteps of footballers who played for the La Liga giants and later developed into fine coaches.
“We had several players in the Castilla team who are brilliant coaches today, and we didn’t see it at the time,” he said on the Managing Madrid podcast.
“I have a UEFA Pro license myself, so if there’s an opportunity, I wouldn’t mind. I’m open. I once coached Shooting Stars in Nigeria, but I haven’t coached since then,”
Adepoju was capped 48 times by the Super Eagles between 1990 and 2002, and contributed six goals.
