After disappointing World Cup qualifying, Nigeria will appoint a foreign technical adviser to assist the Super Eagles

The NFF has made the decision to replace Super Eagles coach Finidi George with a foreign technical adviser.

Following Finidi George’s departure as head coach, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has decided to appoint an expatriate Technical Adviser for the Super Eagles.

The announcement of the decision came after an unexpected meeting of the NFF Executive Committee and in the wake of underwhelming results in the 2026 World Cup qualifying. Nigeria, who was originally thought to be the favorite in their group, has only managed three points from their four games. Fans and government officials alike called for change as the situation deteriorated following a draw with South Africa and a loss to Benin Republic.

“The Executive Committee decided to hire a foreign Technical Adviser for the Super Eagles in the upcoming weeks, ahead of the FIFA World Cup qualifying matches and the AFCON qualifiers.”

A top official who wished to remain anonymous told ESPN that the federation is hiring a Technical Adviser, and George would remain as head coach, if he so chooses—essentially a demotion—even though the NFF’s statement did not specifically state George’s fate or whether or not he was fired.

With important AFCON and World Cup qualifying matches in the upcoming months, Nigeria is determined to revitalize its national football program and rebuild confidence. This decision demonstrates that determination.

After a 1-1 home draw with South Africa and a devastating 1-2 loss in Benin Republic—ironically led by former coach Gernot Rohr—Nigeria was only able to muster three points from four games.

After the squad’s consecutive 1-1 ties with Lesotho and Zimbabwe under Jose Peseiro, there was hope that George’s hiring would lead the team to wins. But earning just one point out of six has seriously jeopardized the Super Eagles’ chances of qualifying for the World Cup.

The Nigerian government put pressure on the team to choose a technical adviser after expressing displeasure with their recent travels and demanding responsibility. Even before the squad left Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria’s minister of sports requested an explanation, leaving the NFF with little choice except to take action.

“The Senior Men National Team, Super Eagles, has produced a dreadful performance and very low returns in four out of ten matches in the ongoing qualification series for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals. The Executive Committee sincerely apologizes to Nigerians for this.

The NFF acknowledged the dissatisfaction of the people in their statement, saying, “[The NFF] pledges to work assiduously and put necessary measures in place to ensure a better-prepared squad ahead of the AFCON 2025 qualifiers in September this year and the resumption of the World Cup qualifiers in March 2025.”

To better prepare for future tournaments, the NFF intends to restructure its technical department and policy-making processes in addition to employing a Technical Adviser. Strong scouting initiatives are part of this, with the goal of finding skilled Nigerian players across the globe.

The statement went on, saying, “The Board expressed displeasure with the poor attitude of some of the players to the National Assignment, notwithstanding the challenges that attended the team’s preparations for the Day 3 and Day 4 games of the FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, owing to a 38-hour nationwide industrial action.”

“[We] unanimously agreed that a more extensive scouting program of exceptional Nigeria-eligible players from all over the world, who can greatly enhance the country’s premier team, is the way to go.”

In addition to more extensive reforms, the NFF plans to work with FIFA to conduct a Stakeholders’ Forum to talk about changes to its bylaws. These changes are anticipated to resolve long-standing issues that have caused controversy and opposition among the football community, namely related to the makeup and eligibility requirements of the NFF Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee also decided to conduct a Stakeholders’ Forum in a few weeks to discuss changes to the current NFF Statutes with FIFA, the organization that oversees international football.

Revisions to the NFF’s Statutes have been repeatedly requested by stakeholders, especially with relation to the eligibility requirements and makeup of executive committee posts. But there has been strong resistance to these proposals within the NFF Congress, mainly from state FA chairmen who control the Congress and are afraid of losing their power.

In order to address these difficulties, the NFF formed a Reform Committee in 2018, but the committee’s suggestions were never put into practice. It is anticipated that the proposed changes to the Statutes will relax the eligibility standards for candidacies to the NFF board and expand the scope of the Congress and Executive Committee.