Former Ipswich Town forward Finidi George  has been appointed the permanent head coach of the Nigeria national team.

The 53-year-old was placed in interim charge of the Super Eagles after the departure of Jose Peseiro following their defeat by Ivory Coast in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final in February.

SIGN-UP! Get five months of ALL our Town content for just £5 - or 40% off a whole year!

George spent 20 months as an assistant to the Portuguese boss and is also manager of Nigerian club side Enyimba, where he is expected to remain in charge until the end of the season. 

 

 

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed his appointment on Monday after approving a recommendation from its technical and development committee.

He scored six goals in 62 caps for his county and was part of the 'Golden Generation' which won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations, the same year in which the Super Eagles appeared at the FIFA World Cup for the first time in the USA.

The Nigerian oversaw two friendly matches in Morocco last month, beating Ghana 2-1 before a 2-0 loss against Mali and now leads them into crucial qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, which will also be held in North America.

East Anglian Daily Times: Finidi George battles with Ledley King in the Premier League.Finidi George battles with Ledley King in the Premier League. (Image: Pagepix)

He was one of George Burley's marquee signings in the summer of 2001, costing the Blues £3.1 million from Spanish side Mallorca, but was part of the Ipswich side relegated from the Premier League that season.

George remained at the club in the second tier before his deal was paid up in 2003 after making just 46 appearances for the Blues and scoring eight goals during his spell at Portman Road. 

He returned to Spain shortly after before retiring from playing in 2004 and began coaching youth teams at Mallorca and Dutch club Zwolle, while also serving as director of international football at Real Betis for a period.

In 2021, George was appointed manager of Enyimba and went on to led them to the top flight title last year. They are currently second in the table with six games remaining this season.