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Sports News of Friday, 29 March 2024

Source: soccernet.ng

Amunike, Oliseh, Okocha, ex-Everton boy in Finidi George’s favourite Super Eagles Best XI

Finidi George Finidi George

Former AFC Ajax Amsterdam winger Finidi George has named some of Nigeria’s finest ever footballers in his favourite Super Eagles’ best eleven, Soccernet.ng reports.

Finidi was a key member of arguably the most successful Super Eagles squad in history, helping the team win the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia.

The former Real Betis star played a crucial role in helping Nigeria qualify for the country’s first-ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup also in 1994.

At the tournament proper in the United States, Finidi scored a goal to lift Nigeria to two memorable victories over Greece and Bulgaria, with the Super Eagles making it to the knockout rounds.

Finidi featured in his last major tournament for Nigeria at the AFCON 2000, where he did his bit to power the Super Eagles to a second-place finish.

Asked by Victor Modo to put together in a starting eleven the best players he worked with in the national team, Finidi picked former Deportivo la Coruna shot-stopper Peter Rufai ahead of his peers.

Former Super Eagles coach Augustine Eguavoen slotted into the right-back role, while gentle giant Uche Okechukwu, 2013 AFCON-winning coach Stephen Keshi, and left-back Ben Iroha completed the defensive setup.

Former Juventus midfielder Sunday Oliseh and ex-PSG playmaker Austin Okocha were preferred in the middle of the park. Finidi named himself on the right flank and handed the opposite wing to one-time Barcelona ace Emmanuel Amunike.

Former Everton striker Daniel Amokachi gets Finidi’s nod to partner upfront with legendary Nigerian forward Rashidi Yekini.

Finidi served as the Super Eagles caretaker coach for Nigeria’s two friendly matches against Ghana and Mali in March.

The former Mallorca attacker led the Super Eagles to a 2-1 victory over Ghana’s Black Stars before his team fell to a surprise 2-0 loss to Mali’s Les Aigles.

Finidi’s Dream Super Eagles XI: Rufai; Eguavoen, Okechukwu, Keshi, Iroha; Finidi, Oliseh, Okocha, Amuneke; Amokachi, Yekini