Finidi George has been announced as the new head coach of Nigeria, succeeding Jose Peseiro

SOCCERFinidi George has been announced as the new head coach of Nigeria, succeeding Jose Peseiro

Nigeria’s football federation has named former Nigeria international Finidi George as the new coach of the national squad, putting an end to weeks of speculation over who will replace Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro. According to a press statement, the Board of Nigeria Football Federation on Monday approved the recommendation of a technical committee to appoint George, 52, to lead the Super Eagles.   George spent 20 months as assistant to Peseiro before the Portuguese voluntarily left the post after  Nigeria reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in February where they lost to hosts Ivory Coast. George, also coach of club side Enyimba, oversaw two friendly matches last month, beating Ghana 2-1 before a 2-0 loss against Mali. George is thought to have beaten off competition from a host of contenders for one of the most high-profile roles in African football, including former Super Eagles team-mate Emmanuel Amuneke and Spaniard Domenec Torrent, a former analyst and coach for Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola This is a developing news