By Odie Ramon, Yenagoa
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has congratulated Bayelsa-born new head coach of the Nigerian national football team, Finidi George.
The governor also commended the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for appointing the new Super Eagles tactician based on merit.
Diri stated this on Thursday during the draws for the 2024 Bayelsa Governor’s Cup Tournament, christened ‘Prosperity Cup,’ after the weekly Prosperity Walk at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex in Yenagoa.
His chief press secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, in a statement, quoted the governor as having commended the NFF for appointing a son of the soil for the prestigious job.
He said that the governor disclosed that the NFF president, Ibrahim Gusau, who visited him on Wednesday, asked why he did not lobby for Finidi to get the job like some of his colleagues did, and that he responded that his disposition was always to allow merit play a major role in such situations.
Governor Diri also said that Finidi did not call him to influence the decision of the Glass House, stressing that the Super Eagles coach, on his own merit, had cut his teeth as a former Nigerian international, who played for clubsides in Nigeria and abroad.
He equally noted that Finidi had garnered the requisite coaching experience with foreign and local clubsides as well as an assistant coach of the national team under immediate past coach, Jose Peseiro.
He said: “Let me use this opportunity to appreciate the Nigeria Football Federation for appointing one of our own as coach of the Super Eagles, a son of the soil.
“We all know Finidi George as a professional footballer nationally and internationally and he decided to take on a coaching career.
“Yesterday, the NFF President was with me here in Yenagoa and he told me that, Your Excellency, you did not even lobby for your son while other governors were lobbying for their own to be the coach. I said, you know my disposition. I always allow merit to come to play.
“In our discussion, I also made it clear that Finidi never called me to say, Your Excellency, I am going for this, please lobby for me. So I believe he got it on his own merit and he is going to serve Nigeria. But he has to know that he is also from Bayelsa.”
Diri wished Finidi well and assured him that he and the state will support him and the NFF to succeed.
Finidi George is the fourth Super Eagles head coach who hails from Bayelsa State. Others before him were the late Paul Hamilton, Monday Sinclair and Samson Siasia. Interestingly, they are all from Sagbama local government area of the state.
Earlier, director-general of the Bayelsa Governor’s Football Tournament, Mr. Ono Akpe, said the annual competition has received the endorsement of the Federal Ministry of Sports, in recognition of the governor’s outstanding contribution in promoting sports.
