NFF eye scapegoat strategy as Super Eagles risk 2025 AFCON ticket loss
The countdown to the first 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers has begun, with the Super Eagles currently without a coach to lead them into their clash against Benin Republic.
With a critical appointment yet to be made, it appears that the Nigeria Football Federation is poised to repeat a troubling pattern of scapegoating a new coach for their inadequacies.
Before the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the Nigerian football body selected Finidi George’s application from among many and handed him the Super Eagles job.
The former President of the NFF, Amaju Pinnick, endorsed the former Ajax and Real Betis forward as the suitable person for the role.
“If I were to subscribe to anyone at the moment, because of the smooth transition from Peseiro, I should say Finidi George, and I don’t have any regrets about it,” Pinnick said in a statement to Channels Television.
However, Finidi had little time to get acquainted with his new team and backroom staff, giving them just a week to prepare against a fierce team hungry for World Cup tickets.
It is worth recalling that the Nigeria FA took six weeks to search for a suitable replacement for Jose Peseiro and pushed Finidi into a situation where he ended up failing to secure a victory for Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Finidi’s coaching tenure ended without a single victory—a loss to Benin Republic and a draw against South Africa—which dashed Nigeria’s hopes of securing 2026 World Cup tickets.
Now, as we approach a key qualifier for the biennial event, the NFF’s continued delay in appointing a new head coach raises serious concerns.
It seems they are setting up a new coach to be the fall guy for their own failings. By hiring someone at the last minute, they’re effectively placing an unrealistic burden on this individual, expecting them to achieve immediate success without a proper understanding of the team’s dynamics or the chance to develop effective strategies.
A coach requires time to assess player abilities, build relationships, and implement a cohesive plan. Rushing this process sets the coach up for failure and reflects a deeper issue within the NFF’s management practices.
The real problem lies not with the players or the coaches but with the NFF’s systemic issues. Their repeated failure to provide stable and effective leadership has created a cycle of blame and disappointment.
Instead of addressing these internal problems, the federation seems intent on deflecting responsibility by setting up new coaches as scapegoats for their own lack of foresight and planning.
