Amunike has emerged as a leading contender for Nigeria’s next coaching position, with Finidi, lacking a UEFA Pro coaching license ruled out, as reports outline the top 5 candidates for the Super Eagles role.
Following the exit of Jose Peseiro, who guided them to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finals, over 100 coaches worldwide applied for the vacant Nigeria job prompted by the NFF’s call for applications.
Interim coach Finidi George is excluded from consideration due to the licensing requirement.
The NFF Technical Committee convened in Abuja on Tuesday, April 16 to finalize the shortlist, leaving both domestic and foreign coaches awaiting their fate.
The next Super Eagles coach will have the crucial task of steering Nigeria to qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America and leading them to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title.
Amunike is anticipated to feature prominently in the final shortlist, leading a group of five coaches under scrutiny for the role.
Competing with Amunike are three foreign coaches: Danny Buijs from the Netherlands, Portuguese coach Antony Conceicao, and Spanish coach Domenec Torrent.
Michael Nsien, coach of the United States Under-20 team, also holds a UEFA Pro coaching license and is reportedly in contention for the Super Eagles coaching position.
Despite his application, Finidi appears to be disregarded by the NFF, following his interim stint managing the team during international friendlies against Ghana and Mali in March.
The NFF reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with Finidi’s brief tenure, marked by conflicts with some veteran players during the friendly matches.
