Nigeria eyeing Man United team coach for vacant national team job

In a bid to replace Finidi George and fill the vacant Super Eagles Head coach position, the Nigeria Football Federation has intensified its search for a new coach ahead of the next international window, which will herald the start of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

Former England manager Steve McClaren is among the coaches reportedly interviewed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for the vacant Super Eagles head coach job. According to reports, the NFF are still in the hunt for a new head coach for the Super Eagles after Finidi George stepped down from the role last month.

The NFF has held talks with McClaren, who is currently part of Erik Ten Hag’s coaching crew at Manchester United, while former Gambia national team coach Tom Saintfiet is another coach on NFF’s radar. Saintfiet has coached Namibia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Togo in the past.

Nigeria was heavily linked to Herve Renard, who will lead the French women’s national team at the Olympic games later this month. The former Zambia and Saudi Arabia national team coach has indicated his interest in leaving the French job after the games.

Nigeria are on the brink of missing two successive FIFA World Cups for the first time since their first qualification in 1994 after starting the qualifying process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup without a win in four matches.

This is despite the fact that the West Africans reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations against hosts Ivory Coast in February, led by Jose Peseiro, who exited the position after the tournament.

Nigeria will face Benin Republic, coached by its former head coach Gernot Rohr, Rwanda, and Libya in Group D of the 2025 Africa Cup Nations qualifier. The first match day will be in September, when the first two group-stage games will be played. Nigeria are in Group D along with Benin, Libya, and  Rwanda.