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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Nigeria former international and ex-Super Eagles coach, Finidi George, has taken a deep reflection on his foray into the game of football as both player and coach, announcing why he can no longer accept the job of coaching the senior national team.
The current chief coach of Rivers United FC, who spoke with SunSports in Abuja recently, also took a deep introspection into his playing days, what he is still missing retiring from playing active football and a comparative analysis of his playing days and the transformations the game has undergone currently, announcing that there was little or poor reward during his playing days.
What is your impression of the coaching course held in Abuja recently?
We are quite happy that a very important coaching training course was organised in Nigeria. We had longed and waited for it because it will go a long way to helping Nigerian coaches who are sometimes limited and restricted during the CAF Champions League.
It has previously happened to me when I was not allowed to sit on the technical bench while I was coaching Enyimba International FC. We are happy that everything was successful so that we can stand tall among other coaches in the world.
What are the takeaways of the training programme?
Improvement will definitely be one of the biggest takeaways. Another is acquiring more knowledge of the game of football, especially as nobody knows it all in football.
It was a case of learning new things every time we got into the classroom, especially as it involved some practicals and theoretical learning. We have some sense of satisfaction when the instructors tell you that you would have done it this way or that way. It was a good initiative from the NFF management to help Nigerian coaches.
What are you missing most about not playing active football presently?
I still feel like going back to play, but the time has passed, and it has been a case of the spirit being willing, but the body is weak. What I am doing now is fulfilling, and I like it; otherwise, I will stop it. We have to love the game whether as a player or a coach.
Initially, when I retired, especially the initial two or three years after retirement, I used to have that desire and hunger to return to the pitch and continue playing. It was even more compelling when I had to sit at home doing nothing.
But the feeling is entirely different now that I have spent almost 20 years in retirement. The body has also changed, compelling me to think about other things instead of focusing on the past. However, I still play with my players just to keep fit.
What is the difference between your playing days and what we have now?
Football itself has changed. The rules have also gone through many transformations. In my days, I was a right winger, and I stuck to my position, but the situation is not the same now because left-footed players are playing on the right side and vice versa.
Don’t also forget that apart from the rules that have changed, we have more monetary rewards in the game of football presently. There was no money in the game during our time compared to what the current players are earning now.
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Again, there is more publicity now than during our playing days because there was no social media. It was a case of buying newspapers or watching television if you want to know about a player.
So many things are happening in the game of football now, and I don’t know if I should call it hype, but the current players have more exposure in terms of social media knowledge.
How do you feel when Nigerians rate you very low as Super Eagles coach?
It is their opinion, but what is obvious is that local coaches are not respected in Nigeria. That accounts for the reason that people say what they want to say. The narrative is usually different when foreign coaches are in charge.
Football administrators even pay foreign coaches far more than local coaches. I still love the game, and I will continue to work hard to be a better coach. I will continue to strive to see how much of an impact I can give to the younger generation.
My efforts may not be about winning trophies but about young players getting groomed under my technical assistance and springing from there to the heights they can attain. And if I can achieve more of that, it will be good enough.
What was your saddest and happiest moment coaching the Super Eagles?
My saddest moment was the very short period of time I coached the senior national team. Incidentally, I cannot recall any happy moment because I was in charge of the team for just four games, comprising two friendly matches and two qualifiers that I handled.
I lost two, drew one, and won one. So, where do I place the joy in the results I got? My coaching the Super Eagles was not a joyful moment for me because, as I said earlier, I didn’t have any joy due to the short period of time I stayed in charge. Anyway, I have put that history behind me now.
But will you be ready to return to coach the Super Eagles if considered for the job again?
My answer is very simple, and it is a big no. Unless things change drastically and all the reforms are implemented, I can’t see myself going to take up such an appointment. For now, I am very much satisfied with club management. It is enough for me now.
What do you advice the football administrators about their preference for foreign coaches over local ones?
Unfortunately, we have nobody to give that advice to for now. We have to wait until they finish their transition period to give them such advice.
Where do you see Nigerian football in the next five to 10 years?
I don’t know, and I can’t say for now until we see how far the reforms will go and how they are being done. We can only hope that the changes will not affect the players. If the reforms affect all of us positively, we will be very proud of them.
