NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has said that it would unveil a new coach for the Super Eagles early next week. The Super Eagles have been without a coach since Portuguese, Jose Peseiro, left the job after leading the team to second position at the Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in February.
Peseiro’s former assistant, Finidi George, led the team to two international friendly games against Ghana and Mali in Morocco last month.
Yesterday in Lagos, NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau, told The Guardian that agreements and other protocols have been concluded with the new coach, adding that the formal unveiling will be done next week. He said: “The technical committee has concluded their job, which has been ratified by the board.
“So many things were taken onto consideration in arriving at the coach that we believe would be good for Nigerian football now and in the future.”
On the delay in appointing a new coach and Nigerians’ concern that the new manager might not have adequate time to train the Super Eagles for their crucial 2026 World Cup qualifier against South Africa in June, Gusau said the incoming coach is an experienced gaffer, who knows all the players available for selection, adding that the coach has already started preparing for the match.
“We looked at our finances and felt appointing a coach when he would have nothing to do until June would not be in our interest. But we did our home work to ensure that the coach will hit the ground running when we name him.”
The NFF president said the current country’s current economic situation has affected the federation’s plans in several ways, adding that surge in the value of the dollar derailed some of its programmes.
“We only managed to pay the semifinal bonuses to the players that represented us at the AFCON because the exchange rate affected the value of the money reserved for that purpose.
“We went to our bank several times and we were told that the funds we had there were no longer up to the amount we were to pay the players. “The recent rise in the value of the naira against the dollar helped us to settle the players recently,” he said.
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