Super Eagles vice-captain, William Troost-Ekong, has voiced his admiration for Finidi George, the newly appointed head coach of Nigeria’s men’s national team.
Last Monday, the NFF board endorsed the appointment of the former Ajax and Betis star following a recommendation by its Technical and Development Committee. This decision placed the reins in the hands of the 53-year-old coach.
Previously serving as an assistant to José Peseiro for 20 months, Finidi took over as interim coach after the Portuguese tactician’s departure following the Eagles’ impressive run to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, where they suffered a 2-1 defeat to the hosts.
During his interim tenure, Finidi supervised two friendly matches in Morocco in March. The team ended an 18-year winless streak against Ghana with a 2-1 victory but experienced a setback with a 2-0 loss to Mali.
Reflecting on his time with the 53-year-old coach, Troost-Ekong expressed his admiration for Finidi in an interview, highlighting the positive impact of their collaboration.
“George Finidi is someone who is a legend.In African football, and Nigerian football, even here in Greece, whenever ex-Nigerian players are mentioned, Finidi’s name always comes up.
“Especially growing up in Holland, just outside Amsterdam, for someone who played so much for Ajax and achieved so much there, he’s someone I look up to and feel very connected to,” he said.
Following a successful tenure with Ajax, during which he secured numerous accolades including the UEFA Champions League, three league titles, UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup, and the Johan Cruijff Shield, Finidi made a move to Spain where he joined Real Betis.
His remarkable performance with the club led them to the final of the Spanish Cup, where they narrowly lost to eventual champions Barcelona.
During his second season as coach of Enyimba, Finidi steered the Nigeria Premier Football League giants to their ninth league title.
In light of his accomplishments, Troost-Ekong had nothing but praise for the new Eagles coach.
“He is always very humble, too humble for what he has achieved. Everyone recognises the work he did for Enyimba last year when he won the league.
“So, for him to now get the chance to be the interim head coach (now the full-time head coach), I am very happy to see that. He’s a great guy,” he added.
Troost-Ekong was sidelined during the Eagles’ friendly matches against Ghana and Mali in March due to injury. However, he aims to regain fitness in time for their upcoming World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and Benin Republic in June.
These fixtures will mark Finidi’s debut as the Eagles coach on a full-time basis, presenting an opportunity for him to lead the team for the first time since his appointment.
