The newly appointed boss of an African giant has vowed that his team will be victorious in their upcoming clash against Bafana Bafana.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced last week that Finidi George had been appointed as the new permanent head coach of the Super Eagles, with his first task in charge being a round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
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The side is set to face Hugo Broos' South Africa on 3 June, followed by Benin a week later. Their qualifying campaign did not, however, get off to a very good start.
The team formerly managed by Jose Peseiro currently occupy third place in Group C, two points behind first-placed Rwanda and one behind Bafana, after picking up draws in their opening two encounters that took place before the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
After reaching the semi-finals of the continental competition, Peseiro announced he would be leaving the team, with George stepping in as the interim manager after spending 20 months as the Portuguese's assistant.
His first couple of games in charge came in international friendlies last month, which saw the side pick up a 2-1 victory over Ghana, before suffering a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Mali.
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The New Super Eagles boss has now insisted he should not be judged by those encounters and called for the support of the nation as the next challenge looms.
"The World Cup qualification matches against South Africa and the Benin Republic is a collective responsibility for all Nigerians," Finidi said, per Complete Sports.
"I know I am in charge now, and the heavy responsibility is on me to win the two world cup matches.
"I will do my best to ensure success and qualify for the World Cup. I am also in touch with the players, and they are ready and willing to give their all, having missed out on the last edition held in Qatar.
"In terms of having knowledge of our opponents, I have been following them. The world today is a global village; one can monitor anything in the comfort of his/ her sitting room.
"We need prayers and support from everybody; this is our own; we can do it and do it well.
"I watch our players weekly as they play in their various clubs. Honestly, my target is to win the two matches and not to be judged with the two international friendly games played."
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