Finidi George: Super Eagles coach hint at possible formation change ahead of crucial World Cup qualifiers

Super Eagles head coach Finidi George is gearing up for his first game following his official appointment as the successor to José Peseiro.

The 53-year-old will lead the 2023 AFCON finalists against Bafana Bafana of South Africa and Benin Republic next month.

Ahead of these crucial encounters, the former Enyimba boss has named his 23-man squad for the matches.

Speaking on his media tour with Arise TV last week, the former Real Betis winger noted that Nigerians should expect a possible change of formation ahead of the clashes against South Africa and Benin as he finds the right balance for the team.

"With the calibre of players we have, we cannot play so defensively. In football, you must find the right balance between attacking and defending. If the players understand what we're doing, we can attack effectively and know when to defend."

Finidi also commented on the team's setup:

"We also struggled offensively, so we need to find that balance. Perhaps the formation needs to change, moving a player from the back to the midfield. We used a 3-4-3 formation in the last AFCON, but it might be time to switch back to a 4-3-3 to better utilise our wingers."

Nigeria will host South Africa at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on June 7 before traveling to Ivory Coast for their next encounter against Benin Republic three days later.

WDN