2026 WCQ: NFF apologize to Nigerians, move to employ expatriate, technical adviser for Super Eagles

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will engage an expatriate technical adviser for the Super Eagles following their poor performance in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Nigeria has drawn three, lossing one in their four games in in the qualification series, the most recent of which was a surprise defeat to the lowly Benin Republic.

The development sparked an outcry from supporters clamouring for Finidi George’s sack.

Days after the loss, the NFF in a Thursday communique following a meeting, said the appointment of the technical adviser would come “in the coming weeks” and apologised to Super Eagles’ fans for the team’s outings in recent days.

“The Executive Committee of Nigeria Football Federation held a meeting on Wednesday, 12th June 2024 in hybrid mode to deliberate on important issues in Nigeria Football and resolved as follows:

“The Executive Committee wholeheartedly apologized to Nigerians for the dismal output and subsequent very poor returns of the Senior Men National Team, Super Eagles, in four out of 10 matches in the ongoing qualification series for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, and pledged 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,” the NFF said.

“Further to (1) above, the Executive Committee resolved to employ an expatriate Technical Adviser for the Super Eagles in the coming weeks, ahead of the AFCON qualifiers and the remaining FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.”

It is, however, unclear what role Finidi will play in the Super Eagles going forward.

The NFF also “expressed displeasure with the poor attitude of some of the players to the national assignment, and unanimously decided in favour of a more robust scouting programme of outstanding Nigeria-eligible players from across the four corners of the universe, who can add tremendous value to the nation’s flagship team”.