New appointed Super Eagles head coach, Finidi George has emphasized the critical need for his team to secure victories against South Africa and Benin Republic in their upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches in June, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The West Africans face a crucial doubleheader against the Bafana Bafana and the Squirrels next month, needing maximum points to boost their chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup finals.
George's team remains winless in Group C, having drawn their matches against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
With the team in second position after two games and quite a number of first team players injured, coach Finidi will have to work his magic from his debut fixture.
“These games are really important because we know where we stand at the moment,” George told Arise TV. “It’s not a good position, to be honest, we should be honest with ourselves.”
He continued, “Where we are at the moment gives us more pressure, because these games are must-win games. We know we have to get as much as we can in these two games just to go up there.”
Nigeria will host South Africa at the Godswill Akpabio International stadium in Uyo on June 7 and then proceed to Côte d’Ivoire to play Benin Republic three days later.
By Olujimi Dare Ogun