Nieketien – Super Eagles job: Give it to Finidi, Amuneke

Nieketien – Super Eagles job: Give it to Finidi, Amuneke

Super Eagles interim coach, George Finidi got his baptism of fire during the week when he led the national team in two friendly matches against Ghana Black Stars and the Eagles of Mali respectively. The results were a mixed grill as the Super Eagles defeated Ghana 2-1 and, typical of their consistently unpredictable nature, lost the next friendly 0-2 to the Eagles of Mali.

This sudden twist in fortune shredded the impact of Finidi’s strong start to his international career as a coach had on the psyche of Nigerians and the Nigeria Football Federation in particular.

More than that, tongues are wagging already. Questions are being raised; sparking off debates in bars and other recreational spots. Are the two matches enough test to judge George Finidi’s competence as manager of Super Eagles? Was the assignment to lead the team in the matches enough audition for the job proper? Was it a trap for him to fall into and therefore justify NFF’s deep-seated disdain for local coaches and insistence on a foreign coach?

Former Nigeria international, Peter Nieketien is of the belief that given the circumstances before the two friendly matches, Finidi has done well. “However, he continued, “it is said, a coach is as good as his last match. That notwithstanding, we cannot say that because he didn’t win the two matches he is not a good coach. If the NFF is serious about hiring an indigenous coach, they should look for somebody that can really deliver.”

The Maroc ’88 star said he has watched Finidi’s club, Enyimbe and the first friendly against Ghana. “He can do the job if given the chance.”

In a critique of Finidi’s approach to the friendly match against Mali, Nieketien said, the moment he saw the line-up, he knew the Super Eagles would struggle.

“You cannot put Iwobi as an attacking midfield player. I don’t know if he wanted to experiment, but if you are given this type of opportunity, I don’t think it is the right time for such experiments. After winning the first match people were waiting to see what would happen in the next match. An attacking formation with Moses Simon, Iheanacho and Iwobi on the right side, how do you expect that combination to work.

I thought he would retain Dessers as the top striker with Iheanacho behind him, because Iheanacho cannot play as a top striker anymore. He plays as a support striker. Iheanacho does not have the speed Dessers has. Those are the kind of things I like to look at.”

Despite that slip against Mali, Nieketien still believes Finiidi and Amuneke remain the best indigenous coaches. “The NFF remains the decision makers. Is the NFF interested in our local coaches? If not, it will be unfortunate if we clamour for indigenous coach and at the end of the day, they go behind and bring one foreigner and ask a Nigerian to be his assistant. If we really want our coaches, we can engage the two of them, give them equal support and the support from other coaches. If they can get the two, I believe our national team will be the better for it.”

Sports journalist and social commentator, Desmond Ekwueme said. “Finidi did well in the two matches to warrant a look in as Super Eagles manager.”

He explained, “If we had lost the two matches woefully, I doubt if you and I would be here talking about Finidi. Indeed, if, for instance, the Super Eagles lost like 4-0 to Ghana and the second match with another ridiculous scoreline, say 5-0, no one would have been talking of Finidi today, or any other indigenous coach, for that matter.”

He defended his position, “It took the combination of Gernot Rohr and Jose Peseiro a longer period to achieve their first wins in international friendlies. If Finidi who hurriedly assembled a team, with a lot of first team players missing could record a win and a loss in his first two matches, he has done more than enough to assess him.

“We must also remember that Ghana stopped us from qualifying for the Qatar World Cup. And the same Ghana could be beaten by a team hurriedly put together by Finidi, I think kudos must go to him. Give and take we should be looking at these factors.

Does he have a chance?

Of course, I always tell people that in our clime. the right man may not be the best man and quite often, the best man may not necessarily be the right person for the job. The most qualified could end up being the most unfortunate. We are in a country where anything can happen.

“If you ask whether he is qualified for the job I would say yes. But there are factors lined out, which those interviewing the coaches may have which you and I may not know.”

Ekweme insisted that whether it is Finidi or any other person, he expects that the Nigeria Football Federation should name an indigenous coach as Super Eagles next manager. He condemned NFF’s penchant for foreign coaches and asked, “can someone educate me on the advantages of hiring a foreign manager for the Super Eagles? Tell me one thing a foreign manager has achieved with the Super Eagles that has not been matched by indigenous coaches? Nigerian coaches have won the AFCON, qualified the country for the World Cup, got to the second round of the FIFA World Cup. All the FIFA U17 trophies we have won were achieved by indigenous coaches. Tell me, have you seen any country that won the World Cup with a foreign coach? So many questions.”

He said the option for a foreign manager can only be backed by those who know what the rest of us don’t know.

Asukwo Oduo, writing for Pulse Nigeria said the two matches the Super Eagles played against their west African rivals are not enough to judge the coach’s ability. Said he, “Two friendly games aren’t enough to judge coach Finidi George. I think he should be given time to prosecute the remaining World Cup qualifiers, and afterwards, the NFF can decide whether to make his appointment permanent or consider other options.”