2026 WCQ: Super Eagles can’t play defensive football with attacking talents — Finidi

Super Eagles head coach, Finidi George has said the team can’t continue to play the defensive football that got them to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.

Despite the glut of attacking talents in the team, former head coach of the team, Jose Peseiro opted for a defensive approach at the tournament.

The Super Eagles made it to the final where they lost 2-1 to the hosts.

Finidi however said with the array of quality strikers at his disposal, they can’t afford to play a defensive game again.

“With the calibre of players that we have, we cannot play that defensive,” Finidi said during his media tour.

“In football you must get that balance, when you attack, when you defend, if the players are aware of what you’re doing and you attack properly and you know when to defend.

“We struggled going forward as well, so we just have to get that balance right.

“Maybe the formation has to change whereby we take away a player at the back and put him in the midfield.”

Finidi will lead the Super Eagles for the first time in a competitive game against South Africa next month.