Former Super Eagles coach, Finidi George, has been officially unveiled as the new head coach of Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) side Rivers United.
The 53-year-old signed a two-year deal with the club, marking his first job after his acrimonious exit from the senior men's national team.
Super Eagles misadventure to fuel Finidi for Rivers
Finidi served as an assistant coach under former Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro.
During his tenure as an assistant, Finidi was part of the coaching team at the Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria finished as runners-up, losing 2-1 to Ivory Coast in the final.
After Peseiro's departure, Finidi temporarily took charge of the national team, overseeing international friendlies against Ghana and Mali in March.
In May, Finidi was appointed the head coach of the Super Eagles, Nigeria's national team.
His first two official matches in this role were the FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June, which did not go as planned.
Nigeria drew 1-1 with South Africa and suffered a 2-1 defeat to Benin Republic three days later.
The Nigeria Football Federation then decided to employ a new manager for the team, prompting Finidi to resign from his role with the team.
The former Real Betis winger was the head coach of NPFL side Enyimba for most parts of last season. Under his tutelage, Enyimba clinched the league title in the 2022/23 season after triumphing in the Super Six play-offs held in Lagos.
Despite his success, Finidi left his position at Enyimba to take on the role of Super Eagles coach.
Triumphant return back to where it all started for Finidi
However, his tenure with the national team was short-lived, and he has now taken on the challenge of leading Rivers United, his home state team.
Rivers United finished eighth in the NPFL last season, accumulating 53 points from 38 matches.
Finidi's appointment is seen as a positive move for Rivers United as they look to build on their previous performances and aim for greater success in the NPFL after failing to qualify for continental football for the first time in about five years.
His first task will be to build a team that can compete in the NPFL after the departure of about 13 first-team players at the end of the season.
