Weeks After Eagles Exit, Finidi Appointed as NPFL’s Rivers United Manager

Former Super Eagles head coach, Finidi George, has been named the new manager of Rivers United.

The club announced the 52-year-old’s appointment via a post on its X account on Wednesday.

Finidi accepted the role just weeks after stepping down as the head coach of the men’s national team.

His resignation followed after managing only two competitive games since his appointment in April.

In his tenure, he led the team to a 1-1 home draw against South Africa and a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. These results placed Nigeria fifth in the qualification group, following earlier draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.

The poor performances sparked widespread criticism from Nigerians, particularly on social media.

John Enoh, the minister of sports development, then summoned NFF officials to explain why there shouldn’t be consequences for the disappointment caused to both the government and the public.

In response to the backlash, the NFF announced plans to appoint a foreign technical adviser for the team.

Rivers United is the second Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) team that Finidi will manage, following his successful tenure at Enyimba, where he led the team to the 2022/23 NPFL title.