Finidi George has discussed the motivations behind his decision to assume the coaching role at Rivers United.
The 53-year-old was recently unveiled as the next manager of the Port Harcourt-based club, putting pen to paper on a two-year contract.
Before assuming his new role, Finidi was the manager of the Super Eagles, a position he took in May. Prior to that, he had served as interim manager and led the Super Eagles in friendlies against Ghana and Mali in Morocco in March.
However, his two games as the substantive head coach were disappointing, with the Super Eagles drawing against South Africa at home and losing to Benin in Ivory Coast, all during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
This raised questions about Finidi's competence, prompting the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to scour for a new coach. Unhappy with the NFF's approach, Finidi opted to resign.
The former Ajax player is not new to the domestic league, having guided Enyimba FC to a league title in the 2022/23 season.
Finidi George shares reasons for taking Rivers United job
In a ninterview with Naija News, Finidi reflected on his journey with gratitude and ambition, seeing his new role as an opportunity to give back and make a meaningful impact.
“As a coach, there are chapters you have to close and new ones have to emerge,” he said. “Rivers United is a very big team. Seeing the results last season inspired me to come back and see how I can impact a little bit.
“I’ve been working in Abia State for some time and I think this is an opportunity for me to give back. I decided to take this challenge to come back to Rivers State.
“I’m not here for fun. The target for a big team like Rivers is all about winning. We all want results but we have to work towards it. The target is to at least get the continental ticket next season and we will try our best to do that.”
Born in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Finidi George has deep roots in the region. From 1991 to 1993, the former Super Eagles manager played a pivotal role at Sharks FC, one of the clubs that later merged to form Rivers United.
