The Senate Committee on Sports has summoned the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), led by President Ibrahim Gusau, to appear before the committee to explain the delay in appointing a new coach for the Super Eagles, according to All Nigeria Soccer. The technical department, headed by Augustine Eguavoen, and the Technical Committee have also been summoned to appear at the meeting scheduled for today at 2 p.m.
The Super Eagles have been without a substantive coach since José Peseiro's departure, and the delay in appointing a new coach has raised concerns about the team's preparations for the FIFA 2026 World Cup qualification. Finidi George, the current interim coach, led the team during the last international break, but a permanent coach is yet to be appointed.
The Senate Committee's intervention comes as a result of the urgency of the situation, with the 2026 World Cup qualification matches fast approaching. The committee is keen to ensure that the NFF takes decisive action to appoint a competent coach who can lead the Super Eagles to success in the qualification campaign.
According to reports, the NFF is considering both local and foreign coaches for the position. Finidi George and Emmanuel Amuneke are the leading local coaches in the running, while Domènec Torrent, a former assistant to Pep Guardiola, is the top foreign candidate. However, there are concerns about the quality of a local coach and whether they can command respect from foreign-based players, while there are also doubts about the NFF's ability to afford a foreign tactician.
In addition to the delay in appointing a new coach, the Senate Committee will also discuss preparations for the Super Falcons' 2024 Paris Olympics and the Golden Eaglets' 2024 WAFU B competition. The committee is expected to grill the NFF leadership on their plans to ensure the success of Nigeria's national teams in these competitions.