Mutiu Adepoju: Super Eagles will flourish under Finidi George

Ex-Nigerian international Mutiu Adepoju is the latest prominent name to declare trust and confidence in Finidi George’s capability to take charge of the Super Eagles on a permanent basis.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) appointed George as the Super Eagles’ interim manager for friendlies against Ghana and Mali on March 22 and 26, respectively.

After grabbing a 2-1 win over Ghana, public sentiments were in favour of coach George but the Super Eagles’ 2-0 loss to Mali has left Nigerian football faithful divided over the 52-year-old’s future as the country’s men’s national team gaffer.

Adepoju, a former teammate of George, believes the ex-Real Betis winger has demonstrated sufficient capability to be appointed permanently, and it would be unfair to judge him solely on the defeat to Mali.

“With only two games under his (Finidi’s) belt, his record of one win and one loss is not bad at all,” Adepoju told Flashscore.

“He has a lot of room for improvement. I firmly believe that these Super Eagles will prosper under his leadership if he gets the job.

“It would be a serious mistake to judge Finidi solely on our defeat against Mali. When José Peseiro was the coach of the Super Eagles, did he win every game? Finidi deserves our trust so that he can cultivate the confidence necessary to build on our current base.”

Reports from different quarters indicate that the NFF has shortlisted seven coaches, including Finidi George, and six other local and foreign tacticians for the vacant Super Eagles head coach position.

A substantive appointment is expected to be made before the end of April 2024, ahead of Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualifying matches in June