Former Super Eagles head coach Finidi George has warned that the ongoing administrative upheaval in Nigerian football must not be allowed to destabilise the national team as preparations intensify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Finidi believes the changes taking place at the administrative level should remain there, insisting that the priority of those temporarily overseeing Nigerian football must be to provide the existing Super Eagles technical setup with everything required to deliver qualification.
Nigeria are preparing to begin another major qualifying campaign at a delicate moment for the country’s football administration, following the recent resignation of the NFF leadership and the subsequent involvement of FIFA and CAF in assessing the situation.
FIFA and CAF recently began a joint assessment of the governance, legal, administrative and electoral issues surrounding the federation, with the NFF’s electoral process also halted while that exercise takes place.
For Finidi, however, those developments should have as little impact as possible on what happens inside the Super Eagles camp.
The former Ajax winger believes the players already understand the demands of the current technical setup and should be allowed to concentrate on qualifying rather than becoming distracted by events surrounding the administration of the game.
His position is effectively one of change upstairs, stability on the pitch.
Finidi, who previously coached the Super Eagles before leaving the position in 2024, believes any necessary restructuring should be concentrated on the administrative side while those responsible for running the game ensure the national team continues receiving adequate support.
Nigeria will compete in Group L of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers alongside Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau and co-host Tanzania, with the qualification campaign beginning during the September international window.
The campaign carries additional significance following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the country’s second successive absence from the global tournament after also missing Qatar 2022.
That disappointment has intensified scrutiny of the country’s football structures and contributed to calls for significant reforms.
Finidi himself has backed those reforms, describing changes to the administration of Nigerian football as long overdue and calling for the process to be concluded quickly so the game can move forward.
But he does not believe reform should translate into disruption everywhere.
With competitive international football approaching, Finidi’s concern is that uncertainty at administrative level must not filter down to the dressing room and affect another qualification campaign.
The Super Eagles already have a technical structure and a group of players familiar with one another. In his view, the immediate responsibility of administrators is therefore to create the conditions that allow them to concentrate entirely on results.
After the disappointment of missing another World Cup, Nigeria can ill afford another turbulent qualifying campaign.
Finidi’s message is straightforward: reform Nigerian football where change is required but keep the administrative crisis away from the Super Eagles and give the team the stability it needs to qualify for AFCON 2027.
