Former Nigeria international Duke Udi has shared his insights on why George Finidi’s tenure as head coach of the Super Eagles was unsuccessful.
Brief and Tumultuous Tenure
Finidi was appointed two months ago to replace Jose Peseiro, whose contract ended in February. Despite mixed reactions to his appointment, Finidi’s tenure quickly turned sour. The Super Eagles drew 1-1 with South Africa at home and then suffered a 2-1 defeat to Benin in World Cup qualifiers.
Tensions with Players
Tensions escalated when African Footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen criticized Finidi, accusing him of questioning his commitment to the team. Finidi soon resigned, although the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) initially denied receiving his resignation letter before eventually confirming it and beginning the search for a new coach.
Duke Udi’s Criticism
Following Finidi’s short reign, Duke Udi explained that the former Enyimba gaffer lacked the necessary skills to be a manager, despite his coaching experience.
“In Finidi’s case, he is a coach but wants to transition into a manager, which will be difficult,” Udi told Brila FM. “Finidi is not a manager. He rushed into the position because he wanted the job. But managers are different.”
Decline of Super Eagles’ Dominance
Udi also pointed out that the Super Eagles no longer intimidate other teams as they once did.
“Sometimes, when you watch the Super Eagles, they look ordinary. We wonder, with all these superstars we’ve packed, what is happening? Before, even if you beat us, you would sweat. We used to thrash Benin four or five to nothing. If the Benin Republic heard we were coming, they were always scared to play us. Now they don’t fear us anymore, despite all our best players.”
Declining FIFA Rankings
Nigeria dropped from 30th to 38th in the latest FIFA ranking, and the Super Eagles are at risk of missing the 2026 FIFA World Cup after failing to qualify for the last tournament in Qatar.
