Nigerian midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has described Finidi George as a “humble and amazing” coach and says the Super Eagles are in safe hands with him. George was confirmed as the substantive coach of the Nigeria national team last month after initially being appointed as the caretaker manager.
George enjoyed a trophy-laden career as a footballer at both club and international levels. While with Ajax Amsterdam, the 53-year-old won three Eredivisie titles, two Dutch Super Cups, the UEFA Champions League, and the UEFA Super Cup. He also won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Nigeria in 1994.
Since retiring from football, George has been involved in management and led Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) side Enyimba to the league title last year. The former Real Betis and Real Mallorca forward will hope to instill his winning mentality in the Super Eagles after replacing Jose Peseiro at the helm.
George’s first two games in charge of Nigeria—both friendlies in March against Ghana and Mali—brought mixed feelings after he guided the team to beat the Black Stars but was powerless to stop them from suffering defeat against Mali.
Ndidi says Finidi George’s Super Eagles won’t slip up against South Africa, Benin
The real test for George will come next month when Nigeria face South Africa and Benin in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The Super Eagles will host Bafana Bafana in Uyo on 7 June before travelling to Ivory Coast to face the Cheetahs three days later.
There is, however, added pressure on George due to the fact that the West Africans are winless in their opening two qualifying matches and desperately need to win to climb up in Group C, where they occupy the third position.
Ndidi, who featured in each of George’s first two matches in charge of the Super Eagles, believes the former Enyimba coach is the right man to take Nigeria to the next level. The Leicester City midfielder backed George’s appointment, emphasising that the national team is in safe hands.
“Finidi is an amazing coach, we worked with him in our two friendly games in Morocco and he impressed us with the way he executed the two games against Ghana and Mali without any assistant coaches, just him and his other officials. It is not easy for one man to do all that. We are good to go with him. He is humble and amazing. I think I will say congratulations and see what happens in the future,” Ndidi told Complete Sports.
The Leicester City man also laid down the gauntlet ahead of the World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin, insisting the Super Eagles will not choke this time as they did against Zimbabwe and Lesotho in their previous qualifying matches.
“We know how important those two games are to us and we won’t allow it to slip away. It will be tough games, not easy ones but we shall see to it that we do not slip again,” he added.
Wilfred Ndidi open to leaving Leicester City
Meanwhile, Ndidi is currently back home in Nigeria after helping Leicester City gain promotion to the Premier League. The 27-year-old was one of the Foxes’ key players as they finished at the top of the English Championship with 97 points.
Ndidi’s contract is, however, set to expire at the end of June, which has led to speculation surrounding his future. During Leicester’s title celebrations, the former Genk anchorman suggested he would be playing in the Premier League next season but did not specify whether he’d stay with the Foxes or join another club.
The Nigeria international has been linked with English sides Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Brentford and Crystal Palace, with Spanish giants Barcelona also reportedly keen on signing him on a free transfer. However, addressing his future, Ndidi revelled in helping Leicester to regain promotion to the Premier League but said he was open to plying his trade elsewhere after spending the last seven years with the Foxes.
“It is good to be back to the Premier League after being relegated and struggling back to EPL is actually something we don’t want to go back to again. I think morale is high, expectation is high, we have to ensure we do not return to the Championship. It’s a tough place to play. If a good chance comes, I won’t mind trying my luck elsewhere but for now I remain a Leicester City player,” Ndidi said.
Ndidi missed Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024) campaign in Ivory Coast due to injury, but his return to the fold is a huge boost for the Super Eagles ahead of the World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin next month. The midfielder remains one of Nigeria’s most in-form players in Europe at the moment and is coming on the back of a productive season with Leicester, after contributing six goals and six assists.
Ndidi is also the Super Eagles’ most experienced midfielder and seems to be one of the players that George wants to build his team around, having started each of the 53-year-old’s first two matches in charge.
