Super Eagles legend and former head coach, Finidi George, has been appointed as the head coach of Nigerian Football Premier League side, Rivers United.
George, who was unveiled on Wednesday afternoon at the Sharks Stadium in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, succeeds the club’s former coach Evans Ogenyi, who was brought in to replace veteran NPFL coach Stanley Eguma until the end of last season.
Rivers United, the 2022 NPFL champions, finished eighth in the 2023/2024 NPFL season, 17 points behind eventual winners Enugu Rangers. It was the latter’s eighth title.
Until his dismissal in May, Eguma, nicknamed ‘Capelo’, was coach of the Port Harcourt-based club for eight years.
“Rivers United Football Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Finidi George as our new Technical Manager. Finidi George expressed his gratitude to the club, saying: “I am honored to have this opportunity, and I thank the Sports Commissioner, the General Manager, and the supporters for their confidence in me. I am committed to working hard and making the team win,” a statement from the club read.
Prior to his appointment as interim and then head coach of the Nigerian national team by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the former international was assistant to former coach Jose Peseiro, who led the Super Eagles to a second-place finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.
Finidi’s short-lived tenure as Super Eagles coach lasted four matches – two friendlies as interim coach, and two FIFA World Cup qualifying matches as head coach – with a record of one win, one draw and two losses.
In his first match, Finidi led the Nigerian team to a 2-1 win in a friendly against Ghana Black Stars but lost 0-2 to Mali in the second friendly game.
He recorded a draw and a loss against South Africa and Benin Republic respectively during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Despite a forgettable term as national team coach, Finidi has a good pedigree in the NPFL. He was named head coach of two-time CAF Champions League winners, Enyimba FC, in September 2021.
He guided the ‘Peoples’ Elephant’ to winning the Nigerian Premier Football League title in June 2023.
