Ajax legend Finidi George is someone I look up to – Super Eagles star William Troost-Ekong

Soccer

Soccer William Troost-Ekong

Super Eagles vice-captain William Troost-Ekong has expressed his admiration for newly appointed Super Eagles head coach Finidi George, as reported by Soccernet.ng.

The former Ajax star, who initially served as the interim coach for the Super Eagles before being appointed permanently, was chosen from a pool of applicants that included Emmanuel Amuneke, following Jose Peseiro’s departure after his contract expired with the NFF.

Troost-Ekong, reflecting on his 22 months under Peseiro and the transition to George, described Finidi as a legend of the game.

“George Finidi is someone who is a legend. In African football, and Nigerian football, even here in Greece, whenever ex-Nigerian players are mentioned, Finidi’s name always comes up. Especially growing up in Holland, just outside Amsterdam, for someone who played so much for Ajax and achieved so much there, he’s someone I look up to and feel very connected to,” Troost-Ekong remarked in a conversation with Soccernet.ng’s Managing Editor, Lolade Adewuyi.

Finidi’s impact at Ajax was immediate, contributing four goals in 27 games to secure the Eredivisie title, with continued success over the next two seasons.

He then moved to Spain, joining Real Betis, where his goal-scoring prowess remained consistent, including a memorable performance in the Copa del Rey final against FC Barcelona.

Troost-Ekong also praised Finidi’s humility, despite his impressive achievements, noting his recent success with Enyimba in winning the league.

“He is always very humble, too humble for what he has achieved. Everyone recognizes the work he did for Enyimba last year when he won the league. So, for him to now get the chance to be the interim head coach [now the full-time head coach], I am very happy to see that. He’s a great guy,” Troost-Ekong added.

Watch the video here:

The Super Eagles are gearing up for their first game under George’s management as they prepare for their World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic.

Troost-Ekong, who is nearing a quick recovery from a successful surgery following an injury sustained during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, is eager to return to action for Nigeria.

Soccer Ayomide Oguntimehin


Ayomide Oguntimehin

Ayomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and an Editor at Soccernet.ng, with a proven track record in conducting interviews with Super Eagles stars such as William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Ademola Lookman, and many others. He has also made a significant impact in breaking transfer news stories.

Grounded in video editing, video journalism, social media management, and content strategy, Ayomide brings a wealth of expertise to his work.

With a Bachelor’s degree in English Language from Adeyemi College of Education and a Master’s Degree in School Library and Media Technology from the University of Ibadan, Ayomide is well-prepared to excel in the field.

Read MoreAyomide Oguntimehin

Latest

Should Detroit Lions have tribute video for Matthew Stafford?

The Detroit Lions are playing the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football to start the 2024 season. Detroit was able to win its first playoff game in decades last season when they defeated their former starting quarterback at Ford Field. Following the game, Mathew Stafford made headlines for expressing he was happy for the

Georgia Tight End Oscar Delp Poised for Breakout Season in 2024

See why 2024 could be the year that the Bulldogs' tight end becomes a household name in the national media Since the turn of the century, the Georgia Bulldogs’ tight end room has been one of the most impressive and talent-loaded rooms in all of college football and has resulted in a great amount of

30TB hard drives will finally become mainstream next year — Japanese rival to Seagate and Western Digital reveals plans to launch two 30TB+ HDDs...

(Image credit: Toshiba) Toshiba has announced plans to bring 30TB+ hard drives to the commercial market in 2025. The large capacities have been made possible through two magnetic recording technologies: Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) and Microwave Assisted Magnetic Recording (MAMR).  HAMR technology significantly enhances writing capabilities by heating the disk material with a near-field

VCs and the military are fueling self-driving startups that don’t need roads

A new crop of early-stage startups — along with some recent VC investments — illustrates a niche emerging in the autonomous vehicle technology sector. Unlike the companies bringing robotaxis to city streets, these startups are taking their tech off-road.  Two recent entrants — Seattle-based Overland AI and New Brunswick-based Potential — are poised to get

Newsletter

Don't miss

Should Detroit Lions have tribute video for Matthew Stafford?

The Detroit Lions are playing the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football to start the 2024 season. Detroit was able to win its first playoff game in decades last season when they defeated their former starting quarterback at Ford Field. Following the game, Mathew Stafford made headlines for expressing he was happy for the

Georgia Tight End Oscar Delp Poised for Breakout Season in 2024

See why 2024 could be the year that the Bulldogs' tight end becomes a household name in the national media Since the turn of the century, the Georgia Bulldogs’ tight end room has been one of the most impressive and talent-loaded rooms in all of college football and has resulted in a great amount of

30TB hard drives will finally become mainstream next year — Japanese rival to Seagate and Western Digital reveals plans to launch two 30TB+ HDDs...

(Image credit: Toshiba) Toshiba has announced plans to bring 30TB+ hard drives to the commercial market in 2025. The large capacities have been made possible through two magnetic recording technologies: Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) and Microwave Assisted Magnetic Recording (MAMR).  HAMR technology significantly enhances writing capabilities by heating the disk material with a near-field

VCs and the military are fueling self-driving startups that don’t need roads

A new crop of early-stage startups — along with some recent VC investments — illustrates a niche emerging in the autonomous vehicle technology sector. Unlike the companies bringing robotaxis to city streets, these startups are taking their tech off-road.  Two recent entrants — Seattle-based Overland AI and New Brunswick-based Potential — are poised to get

The Download: cuddly robots to help dementia, and what Daedalus taught us

Plus: OpenAI has struck a deal with Reddit This is today's edition of The Download , our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. How cuddly robots could change dementia careCompanion animals can stave off some of the loneliness, anxiety, and agitation that come with Alzheimer’s disease, according

News24 Business | For R350 a month, residents of informal settlements can use a waterless toilet

Qaqamba Matundu Share your Subscriber Article You have 5 articles to share every month. Send this story to a friend! Loading, please wait... Subscribers can listen to this article A waterless toilet provides clean and safe sanitation for informal residents (Ntando Mbhele/ Supplied). A waterless flushing toilet, to help communities that lack water and sanitation

Want to succeed in business? Find a problem to solve | Anthony Tan and Amane Dannouni

Update requirements Looking for ted.com? v95+ v58+ v13+ v96+ v82+ Looks like your browser is out of date For questions contact us at support@ted.com

News24 Business | Garth Theunissen | SENS needs fixing, but the JSE disagrees

Subscribers can listen to this article The JSE building in Sandton. (Fivepointsix/Getty) While the JSE has made efforts to simplify its listing requirements, little evidence of this can be seen in many an indecipherable regulatory announcement. Given the plethora of scandals involving JSE-listed companies in recent years, perhaps it's time to consider some plainer language