Former Malmo FC forward, Peter Ijeh, has voiced his criticism of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over its treatment of Finidi George, leading to his resignation as head coach of the Super Eagles, according to Sportblog247.com.

Ijeh’s comments follow the NFF’s decision to demote Finidi to assistant coach just six weeks into his tenure after poor results against South Africa and Benin Republic earlier in June. The NFF subsequently announced plans to hire a foreign technical adviser, prompting Finidi’s immediate resignation.

Peter Ijeh, Nigeria’s all-time top scorer in the Swedish Allsvenskan with 59 goals, expressed his disappointment with the NFF’s decision. He drew comparisons to Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro, who had a poor start with the Super Eagles, winning two and losing six of his first eight games, suggesting that a foreign coach would not have been treated as harshly as Finidi.

Speaking on Brila FM’s “No Holds Barred” with Ifeanyi Udeze, Ijeh argued that hiring a foreign coach does not guarantee success in the next FIFA World Cup. He emphasized that Finidi George deserved more time to demonstrate his capabilities, noting that success in football heavily relies on the support provided to both players and coaches.

“From the beginning, I believe the NFF vetted who they wanted. Two foreign coaches before Finidi lost their first five matches. They should have handled the situation better,” Ijeh said.

He highlighted the importance of understanding contractual agreements and implied that foreign coaches might receive more favorable treatment. Ijeh remarked, “Writing a contract is one thing; the clauses of the contract are another. Who knows what he signed or what the agreement was? Everything that happened, they can’t try it with a white man.”

Ijeh also emphasized the potential of Nigerian coaches, both domestically and abroad, who possess modern certifications and are capable of leading the Super Eagles. The former Nigeria international urged the NFF to reconsider their approach and avoid making hasty decisions.

“I still believe building a Nigerian for that task is possible because we have qualified coaches, even in the diaspora, with modern certifications who can execute the job. It depends on the Glass House supporting the coach. It’s just to advise the NFF that, look, what is the guarantee that bringing in a technical adviser would win the remaining six games? What if he doesn’t win? What next? Where are we going?”

Days after Finidi’s resignation, the NFF has yet to appoint a new head coach for the national team. Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and now faces uncertainty ahead of the next edition, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

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