Interim Super Eagles coach Finidi George is optimistic that the team will make the best of the current FIFA break as he coaches the team for the first time in two friendly games against Ghana and Mali in Morocco on Friday and next Tuesday.
Nigeria will take on Ghana in the first of the two friendlies on Friday at the Grand Stade de Marrakech before taking on Mali four days later.
The team’s camp opened on Tuesday and the ex-international drilled 15 of the expected 23 players on ground in their training session while Fenerbahçe defender Bright Osayi-Samuel is the only player expected as at the time of filing this report on Tuesday.
While he is also among the aspirants to replace the departed Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro, who left after the expiration of his contract earlier this month, Finidi is positive that the team will live up to expectations of Nigerians in both games.
“Definitely as a coach there is responsibility and that’s what we do. We have to be calm and do the job properly. A lot of Nigerians are watching, so, we want to make them proud. The AFCON is gone and these are two games that are crucial, we will take them seriously and make sure we get the best out of them,” Finidi said.
“The players are doing a good job in training. It’s not that intense because most of them are just traveling in. The team spirit is good and I’m happy about it.”
Finidi served as an assistant under Peseiro and will be in contention to replace the Portuguese coach as the NFF searches for a substantive replacement.
Other candidates for the job include US men’s U-19 coach Michael Nsien, 1994 AFCON winner and former Golden Eaglets and Tanzania coach Emmanuel Amuneke, Ndubuisi Egbo, Henry Makinwa, Sylvanus Okpala, Daniel Amokachi among other foreign aspirants.
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