With the appointment and announcement of Finidi George as the new head coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Monday, a lengthy, tortuous and dramatic sequence of events has been brought to an end by the nation’s football governing body NFF.
The last few weeks have been one of a true rollercoaster ride for fans and candidates alike in this matter of selecting a replacement for the outgone Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finalist, Jose Peseiro.
The intrigues can best be acknowledged as befitting of the status of the Super Eagles coaching job because it remains one of the most coveted national team jobs in Africa although the way the whole furore played out left much more to be desired from the actors.
Calls were made for application and it was reported (even if I don’t believe 😁) that over forty expatriates alone applied for the job. What is more interesting is how the candidates comported themselves in the whole selection process. The process was almost reduced to a political event as what is obtainable during Nigerian national elections became the order of the day. Media propaganda, official and unofficial press conferences (yours sincerely was sent a zoom link of a man from Spain dubbed “the next Super Eagles coach) among others.
Off the media space, there were strategic meetings, high powered visitations, staged protests, subtle blackmails and every other thing one could think of to ensure that the outcome of the selection process favours certain candidates.
But in all of these, there was a candidate who seemed unbothered by the back-and-forth. A cool, calm and calculated warrior whom for years has been prepared for these days of war and has quietly won the hearts of many with his diligence, selflessness and meticulousness. His name is Finidi George.
The appointment of Finidi was not just a surprise, but a shock to many who are even neutrals in this matter but as noted previously, a man prepared for the war cannot be fazed by quibbles. Unfortunately, we are in a world in which it is believed that if you are not loquacious, then you are not knowledgeable; if you are not ostentatious then you are not doing anything and if you are not outspoken, then you are a “YES” man.
These take nothing away from the fact that Finidi George, in his unassuming self-styled way worked his way up to meriting his appointment as head coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles. Nigeria’s motivational speakers had a trite quote which can be applicable here: “Good followers become good leaders” and that is one trait Finidi has exhibited.
Having served as assistant to Jose Peseiro for over a year, Finidi carefully and instructively gave the Portuguese peace of mind while he was here, with the Enyimba head coach minding his business and facing his apportioned tasks like a toddler stays within the lines of his assigned home work.
It is undeniable that many Nigerians would have wanted Emmuanuel Amunike in charge as he enjoys the underrated advantage of being in the corridors of CAF and even FIFA Technical Study Groups but like the biblical Jesus, a just man called George laid aside his glory in Europe, came back home to Nigeria to take up one of the maligned assignments (especially by his Class of 1994) perhaps with a view to having a shot at the Under 17 or Under 20 jobs later but he has been rewarded with the job of his dreams after spending three years baked in the ‘freezing ovens’ of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
PREPARATION OF THE JUST
The preparation of Finidi George for this plum job includes one that providentially had him tick critical boxes for this assignment. Knowing that the first thing Nigerians would ask of is achievement: Finidi kept one in his back-pocket by winning the NPFL for Enyimba with the club at their lowest ebb.
He finished third in the abridged group of death, just two points behind the first placed side and won the Playoffs having made hay while the sun shone, needing just a point against perhaps the best playing squad in the country (Rivers United) which he got with panache.
During these past three years coaching in Nigeria, Finidi refused to soil his hands in things of this world and has maintained an untainted reputation so much so that former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Amaju Pinnick boldly described him as a controversy-free man recently.
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Knowing Nigeria, these were never going to be enough for that most treasured role but providence would then give him the biggest experience in an international competition, staying one full month with the team at the 2023 AFCON, observing the on-the-pitch and off-the-pitch dynamics involved during a major competition.
Not that he had not experienced such as a player having attended four AFCON tournaments and two World Cup editions as a distinguished player for Nigeria but it is a different ball game as a coach. Just like the late Stephen Keshi was an assistant in the 2000 silver-winning AFCON experience, Finidi whose demeanour has been likened to that of the Big Boss by some, also got a silver under his belt in Abidjan and was exposed to all available possibilities.
His final bit of preparation was the introduction to the anyhowness of Nigerian football in March. As an interim coach drafted in late to oversee the friendly games against West African rivals Ghana and Mali, Finidi George was made to face his litmus test all alone – acting as the Head coach, assistant coach, trainer, fitness trainer, match reader, stats gauge and instructor all in one package and within a short period of time.
The result was there for all to see and that multitasking experience, combined with the mental aspect of dealing with different egos directly (not as an assistant now) are expected to guide him even than ever now that he will have a well constituted backroom staff before the make-or-mar, win-or-bust and do-or-die duels against South Africa and Benin in June.
The appointment of Finidi Just which has now settled all ravaging dusts of the past few weeks should serve as a message to all that even in this age, what men do are accounted for.
