It is no longer news that Finidi George has resigned from his position as head coach of the Super Eagles.

This decision follows the Nigerian Football Federation’s (NFF) move to hire a foreign expatriate to manage the team for the remainder of the World Cup qualifiers, demoting Finidi to the role of assistant coach.

Finidi tendered his resignation late Friday via an email to the NFF. His decision stemmed from his unwillingness to serve as an assistant under a foreign technical adviser, a position he previously held under former coach Jose Peseiro.

The NFF’s decision to appoint a foreign technical adviser was driven by concerns about the team’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

However, their choice to demote Finidi after such a short tenure appears harsh and arguably unjustifiable.

Under Finidi, the Super Eagles extended their winless streak in the qualifiers, having previously drawn two matches under Peseiro.

However, Finidi did not have a full squad for those games.

Key players such as Victor Osimhen, William Troost-Ekong, and Simon Moses were sidelined due to injuries.

Additionally, industrial action in the country disrupted the travel plans of some invited players, leaving Finidi with less than 24 hours to prepare the team for the matches.

These challenges contributed to the disappointing results, which sparked significant media and fan backlash, with many calling for Finidi’s dismissal.

Instead of shielding the coach from the criticism, the NFF’s leadership, after meeting with the Minister of Sports, publicly announced their plans, effectively throwing Finidi under the bus.

Only two months into his appointment, the NFF’s decision demonstrates a lack of faith in Finidi’s leadership.

This is not the appropriate way to treat a manager, and it appears the NFF pressed the panic button too early, a move likely to set the team back.

Finidi was chosen over Emmanuel Amuneke for his familiarity with the players, having served as Peseiro’s assistant.

Forcing his resignation could be detrimental to the team, as the new technical adviser will be starting a fresh project midway through the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, reducing the likelihood of success.

The Federation should have provided Finidi George with time and support.

After all, Jose Peseiro, who started the World Cup qualifiers, managed only draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, contributing to the current struggles.

Even the NFF admitted in their communiqué that the players lack commitment and passion for the national team.

So why is Finidi George being used as a scapegoat when the NFF should has initiated a code of conduct for the players?

Their decision to punish only the coach further weakens the position of any future coach, making it seem that the players are untouchable.

With these moves, there is no guarantee that a new coach will miraculously turn the team’s fortunes around and secure World Cup qualification.

However, Finidi did the honorable thing by completely resigning from the job after the embarrassment and disrespect. It’s important to allow the incoming coach to have a new environment without further distractions.