Newly appointed Super Eagles coach Finidi George has identified Nigeria’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic as must-win games, Sportblog247.com reports.

Finidi George, who won the NPFL in his debut season as the head coach of Enyimba International while also serving as the assistant coach of the Super Eagles, has recently taken over the reins from Jose Peseiro. The Nigeria Football Federation introduced the former Ajax winger as the new head coach a few weeks ago, and he has immediately begun preparations for the crucial matches ahead.

The Super Eagles were drawn into CAF Qualification Group C, which includes Rwanda, Lesotho, Benin Republic, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. In their first two games, the three-time AFCON champions drew against Rwanda and Lesotho, securing only two points from two matches. Nigeria now urgently needs victories to strengthen their position in the race for a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Nigeria will face Benin Republic and South Africa in June. Finidi George, aware of the stakes, emphasized the necessity of winning both matches. “Yeah, the games are really important because we know where we stand at the moment. It’s not a good position, to be honest. We should be honest with ourselves. Where we are at the moment gives us more pressure because these games are must-win games,” the former Enyimba manager told Arise TV.

However, Finidi was cautious not to guarantee victories but assured that his team would give their all to secure Nigeria’s return to the World Cup after missing the 2022 edition in Qatar. “I’m not saying we will win the games, but I’m saying they are must-win games because we don’t know what’s going to happen. It all boils down to us as a team knowing what is at stake and striving to get as many points as possible in these two games to move up,” the 53-year-old added.

Nigeria will play South Africa on June 7th before traveling to Ivory Coast to face Gernot Rohr’s Benin Republic three days later.