The newly appointed coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Finidi George has been mandated by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to always include players from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) in all his squads, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Unveiled one a one year contract yesterday, the former Ajax winger has been tasked with the job of ensuring that Nigeria makes it to the world cup and also get to the semi final of next year Africa Cup of Nations. He will begin his tenure with the world cup qualifiers games against South Africa and Benin Republic respectively in June.

Beyond that he has been told to always ensure that players from the NPFL, the league which he lifted Enyimba to the title last season has at least a player in all of his squads. “There is a percentage of players from the domestic league who will always be part of the Super Eagles,” Eguavoen said yesterday.

It means the long mooted idea of having a quota system, where players from teams in the NPFL have a certain number reserved for them has finally seen the light, following it’s rejection by both Gernot Rohr and Jose Peseiro when they were at the helm.

For the games in June, we exclusively gathered that 35 players made the provisional list of players with four coming from teams in the NPFL.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The decision of Finidi George to pick Daniel Amokachi as one of his three assistants appears to be a very unpopular decision with fans and followers of the team, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Finidi was yesterday unveiled as the new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria, with his assistants confirmed as well. Daniel Amokachi will serve as one of his assistants alongside four others.

Olatunji Baruwa will remain as the goalkeeper trainer, while the trio of Benjamin James, Chima Onyeike and Mehmet Ozturk will take up the remaining role of assistant coach, fitness trainer and match analyst.

Bar that of Amokachi, every other decision drew applause for Finidi and the Nigeria Football Federation. Amokachi was until recently an adviser to the president of the federal republic of Nigeria. The last time he was active as a coach was in 2015 when he handled FC Ifeanyi Ubah, but he left the role after a game.

It’s worthy to note that this is the third time he will be working as an assistant coach of the team as he had held the role in 2006 working with Austine Eguavoen and in 2013 he worked with late Stephen Keshi when the team won the AFCON.

” We accept anything in this country. Amokachi is like the appointment of Joseph Yobo who was without certificate when he was made the assistant of the team. How can someone who is now a politician revert back to the bench as a coach?”, a former player of the Super Eagles said on the condition of anonymity.

” One has to be careful about coming public because of how society is but handing the assistant job to Amokachi is more political than anything else. I pray it works”, he concluded.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The newly appointed coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Finidi George has explained how he will select players who will represent the team following his unveiling as the new coach of the team, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Finidi was unveiled by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as the substantive coach of the Super Eagles on a one year deal, with a mandate to qualify the team for the 2026 World Cup and the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The assistant to head coach Jose Peseiro for 20 months will be handed an extension if he qualifies for the world cup and also get to the semi final of the AFCON, the tournament he assisted Peseiro to a second place finish in Cote d’Ivoire.

Speaking on the criteria he will use in selecting players for the team, the former Ajax winger made it clear that he will only call players who are regular for their various teams, and said there will be no special treatment to any player in that regard.

“You have to be playing regularly in your club, and you must have that commitment. For me, Nigeria is first, and that is the same commitment and loyalty I want from each player that is invited, and if you can do that, we are good to go”, he said.

Reacting to the huge difference in his salary and that of erstwhile coach Peseiro, the 51 year old said money isn’t his motivation now and he accepts the terms proposed by the NFF, adding that his focus is on helping the team qualify for the world cup.

“I know money is good, but I think if you add value to what you are doing, the money definitely will come. So, I am not quite worried about what the former coach was getting.

“What am getting is good for me at the moment, and the moment I add value to what I am going to do, I think the money will come.

“It’s going to be that the Hon. Minister and NFF will call me and say Coach, how much do you want?”

” For me, it’s all about work , work, and add value. So long as the team is going to win, money is going to come definitely”

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Finidi George says his relationship with players of the senior national team of Nigeria will be a lot better ahead of the team’s world cup qualifiers games against South Africa and Benin Republic respectively, OwnGoalNigeria.comreports.

Finidi was today unveiled by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as the substantive coach of the Super Eagles, stepping up from his role as interim coach of the team. He was before this recent designation an assistant to Jose Peseiro for 20 months.

Reports of a fallout with Ademola Lookman and four other players who didn’t get to play in the friendly games against Ghana and Mali respectively, the coach was asked about the steps he will take to ensure that his relationship with the players is smooth going forward.

“I think I have been with the team for 20 months and I can assure you that my relationship with the players is very perfect. As an Assistant and now been a Head Coach, we are not changing it. I will just try to improve on my relationship with the players”, he stated.

“These are professional players. We have to give them what they are used to in Europe and in Europe you don’t have to slap anybody for not doing their job. Definitely, I have a way of talking to the players they will understand.

“Henceforth, you will not hear any controversy on my relationship with the players. That will be perfect”, he vowed.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Finidi George was unveiled by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) earlier today in Abuja, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The coach has been given a one year deal with a mandate to ensure that the team qualifies for the 2026 World Cup. The first assignment will be in June this year against South Africa in Uyo before facing Benin Republic four days later.

We can exclusively report that Finidi has left his role as coach of Enyimba permanently to focus on the task as the new coach of the Super Eagles. He will earn almost what former coach Jose Peseiro was earning in the final three months of his stay as coach.

His pay per what we gathered is around $45,000, while his assistants will be on a pay per game arrangement. The agreement covers all five of his assistants including the three foreigners.

The first assistant is a Nigerian Benjamin James, who has been based in Germany for the better part of his life, but was born in Nigeria and also played for Nigeria Professional Football League side Shooting Stars and defunct league side Stationery Stores before his sojourn abroad.

Up until his appointment he works with German Bundesliga side Hoffenheim. He is expected to be in Nigeria next week alongside Chima Onyeike who will be the fitness trainer of the team.

Onyeike is of Nigerian descent but was born and raised in the Netherlands, where he had a very short playing career before venturing into becoming a fitness trainer. He is presently unemployed but had stints working in Russia with Anzhi, Greek side PAOK, German side VFB Stuttgart and his last place of employment was Dutch side Willem II.

Mehmet Ozturk will function as the match analyst, with the duo of Daniel Amokachi and Abideen Baruwa completing the list of his assistants.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Nigeria international forward Victor Boniface has caused a stirr online by calling out Real Madrid star Antonio Rudigier for copying his goal celebration style, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Boniface who has been in tremendous form for record breaking Leverkusen celebrates his goals in a unique way since his move to the team in the summer from Belgium side Union Saint-Gilloise.

They style has become famous and has some players copying the move including Rudigier, who supplied the assist for Real Madrid in their 2-1 comeback win over Bayern Munich in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi final.

During the club celebration of their LaLiga triumph, the German defender alongside Vinicius Jnr and Militao used the same signature goal celebration style of the Nigerian, and he reacted by saying ” I charge now for the celebration”, he posted with a laugh emoji to go with it.

Known for his hilarious takes on social media, the 23 year old is a part of the Bayer Leverkusen team that is aiming to end the season unbeaten in all competitions, and he scored his 21st goal of the season in their 5-0 win over VFL Bochum.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Finidi George has picked four players from the Nigeria Professional Football Federation (NPFL) in his squad for the upcoming world cup qualifiers in June, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Nigeria will take on South Africa and Benin Republic respectively in the race to be at the 2026 world cup, and the games will be the first for Finidi in his new role as head coach of the team , he handled the team in interim capacity during the last international break, where they defeated Ghana but lost to Mali in two high profile friendly games.

Ahead of the game, the coach sent out preliminary invitation to 35 players from which a final list of 25 players will be picked for the games. We can exclusively report that four players from the NPFL made the list.

The assistant to former head coach Jose Peseiro also picked William Troost-Ekong who hasn’t played a game since the Africa Cup of Nations, following an injury he picked up at the tournament where he was voted as the most valuable player (MVP).

Ekong is now back in full training with Greek side PAOK and will be a part of the squad. Bayer Leverkusen Victor Boniface is also expected to make the list for the games after missing out on a spot in the team for the AFCON due to injury.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Champions Nigeria will arrive in the Ghanaian capital, Accra on Saturday for the defence of their WAFU B U17 Championship title at this year’s edition of the competition that commences on Wednesday, 15th May.

The Golden Eaglets, five-time champions of the world, swept aside every opposition before them to achieve glory in another Ghanaian city, Kumasi two years ago, but failed to light up the Africa U17 Cup of Nations in Algeria and were therefore ineligible to compete for another world title in Indonesia.

However, 2013 FIFA World Cup – winning coach Manu Garba has been restored to the squad and will take charge of the ensemble that will tackle Burkina Faso, Niger Republic and Togo in Group B of the upcoming WAFU B tournament, with the objective being qualification to take part in next year’s Africa U17 Cup of Nations.

Garba will lead a technical crew that has the mandate of not only successfully defending the regional crown, but to continue to improve the squad for a great outing at the U17 AFCON and onwards to a probable sixth world title.

The Eaglets begin their defence of the title when they confront their counterparts from Burkina Faso at the University Stadium on Thursday, 16th May with kickoff set for 3pm Ghana time (4pm Nigeria time), before matches against Niger Republic on Sunday, 19th May (6pm Ghana, 7pmNigeria) and Togo on Wednesday, 22nd May (4pm Ghana, 5pm Nigeria).

The match against Niger Republic will also hold at the University Stadium while the clash with Togo will take place at the Accra Sports Stadium.

19 EAGLETS FOR WAFU B U17 CHAMPIONSHIP

Adekunle Sunday Adedigba, Sylvester Chizoba Chika, Daniel Ofonime Mendie, Destiny Samuel, Abdulwaris Yunus, Boluwatife David Ekishola, Ibrahim Damilare Abdulganiyu, Edward Oloche Ochigbo, Rapha Adams, Simon Karshe Cletus, Oreoluwa Olawale Agbenla, Okorie Marvelous Chibuike, Abdulmuiz Adeleke, John Ogwuche, Qurib Adetola, Chinedu Levi Dominic, Abdulmuiz Oluwatimilehin Oladimeji, Daniel Vowero Arierhi, Imrana Muhammad.

The coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Finidi George has sent out his maiden call up to players of the senior national team of Nigeria ahead of the 2026 world cup qualifiers games against South Africa and Benin Republic respectively in the month of June, OwnGoalNigeria.comcan exclusively reveal.

Appointed as the substantive coach of the team , the coach who was the assistant to former coach Jose Peseiro for 20 months stucked with majority of the players who were part of the team for the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, where they were beaten 1-2 by the host in the final.

He picked 35 players but the list is expected to be prune down to 25 players for both games before it is made public in two weeks time. Already the clubs of  players on the list have received the letter of invitation, but some players were handed straight call ups for the game.

Finidi who was in charge in interim capacity when the team played against Ghana and Mali respectively in two international friendly games during the last window, is expected to get down to work with his assistants starting from this week when he will officially sign a one year deal.

His proposed choice of assistants is also yet to be reviewed and accepted by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). He had submitted three foreigners and two indigenous coaches to be a part of his backroom staff.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The former president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick has backed the decision of the newly appointed coach of the Super Finidi George to go for foreigners as his assistants instead of indigenous coaches.

Finidi was appointed as the substantive coach of the Super Eagles following the exit of Jose Peseiro as coach of the team after the expiration of his contract in February. He was the second assistant to the Portuguese for the 20 months he was in charge of the team.

Trusted as an indigenous coach by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Finidi has however looked  abroad for his assistants after he was given the free hand by the football house to pick his assistants. Like we reported he has forwarded the names of three foreigners to work with him as physical trainer, first assistant and match analyst.

His decision hasn’t gone down well with a section of the media who feels he should have looked inwards for his assistants, the same way he was trusted for the role ahead of other foreign coaches. However ex president of the NFF Amaju Pinnick thinks otherwise.

“Backroom staffing is more scientific right now. If he (Finidi) says he needs three backroom assistants, perhaps one for goalkeeper training, the others are for other positions. We have huge talents in Nigeria both on and off the pitch; you cannot but see that Nigerians are everywhere”, he said on Arise News.

” But the assistant coaches are the engine room of the success of any coach because they see what the coach can’t see. They call his attention to things that he cannot see even before games. It is the backroom staff that makes up the team.

“The coach is just like the leader, he harmonises and streamlines everything that they tell him and puts it to use but it goes beyond that.

“But then, it depends on funding from the federation, but I think it is not out of place. Finidi should be allowed to do what he wants to do. But if there is a paucity of funds, they can discuss it with him because we have critical matches”.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman