Finidi Makes LaLiga African All-time Eleven

Former Nigeria international Finidi George has been included in LaLiga’s African All-time Eleven list, Completesports.com reports.

The Africa LaLiga All-time best list which is a five minutes video of the selected players – past and present – was compiled by SuperSports and published on their verified Twitter handle.

Finidi’s inclusion in the list is due to his impressive performance for Real Betis whom he joined from Dutch giants Ajax in 1996.

During his time at Betis, Finidi netted in double digits in nearly every season, with the Andalusian club finishing fourth in his first year.

The club also reached the final of the Copa del Rey in Finidi’s debut season where they lost 3-2 after extra-time to Barcelona, where he scored.

Among other top African stars who were included in the continent’s LaLiga best eleven are Cameroon legends Samuel Eto’o and Jacque Songo’o, Yaya Toure of Cote d’Ivoire and Mali’s Seydou Keita.

Others are South Africa’s Benni McCarthy, Frederic Kanoute of Mali, Cameroon’s Lauren Etame Meyer and Morocco’s Noureddine Naybet.

LaLiga African All-time Eleven:

Goalkeeper

Jacque Songo’o (Cameroon/Deportivo La Coruna)

Defenders

Lauren Etame Meyer (Cameroon/Mallorca)
Noureddine Naybet (Morocco/Deportivo La Coruna)
Djene Dakonam (Togo/Getafe)
Alan Nyom (Cameroon/Getafe)

Midfielders

Finidi George (Nigeria/Real Betis)
Yaya Toure (Cote d’Ivoire/Barcelona)
Seydou Keita (Mali/Barcelona)

Forwards

Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon/Barcelona)
Benni McCarthy (South Africa/Celta Vigo)
Frederic Kanoute (Mali/Sevilla)

https://www.completesports.com/finidi-makes-laliga-african-all-time-eleven/

Interestingly educative, 9ja there we go.

What they say about Finidi George


Liverpool Spanish goalkeeper Adrian San Miguel has picked former Super Eagles star winger
Finidi George as the best Nigerian Player he has ever seen, Completesports.com reports.



George made his Super Eagles debut in 1991 had 62 caps and scored six goals before retiring in 2002.

He represented Nigeria at four Africa Cup of Nations in Senegal 1992, Tunisia 1994 (Nigeria emerged champions) Ghana/Nigeria 2000 and Mali 2002.

He was part of the Super Eagles squad to the USA 1994 and France 1998 World Cups.

He scored the Eagles’ first goal, a delightful chip over the keeper, in their 2-0 last group game win against Greece at the 1994 World Cup.

At club level he played for Calabar Rivers, Iwuanyanwu Nationale (now Heartland) Sharks, Ajax, Real Betis, Mallorca and Ipswich Town.

And at Ajax he won the UEFA Champions League (1995), Dutch league, UEFA Super Cup and the now defunct Intercontinental Cup.

After leaving Ajax in 1996 he was close to signing for Real Madrid but the deal fell through and eventually settled for Betis.

Kaiii him worth am joorrr man was too good but...

Coman see daylight cheating, broadlight cheating Jesus ooo

Look at pure cheating, where is Lionel Messi?

Messi shud be in two places, midfielder and forward.. Can somone tell me one reason why Messi is not there abeg



2010: sneijder was denied of Ballon dor and they gave it to Messi. Simply bcox No one compares to Messi..

But Ronaldo fans shame on you all, you have refused to acknowledge that Ribery was robbed of Ballon dor.... Useless penaldo tapnaldo boxnaldo Ronaldo fans empty head, mofos... Shame on una head.

Ronaldo has no tactics, no skills, no charisma, even his goals are dull


See sticks, stones, arrow, bullets, atomic bombs from Failnaldo fans ooo..

Lord Messi, pls give me extra protection

Good

..

One of Africa shinning stars,Finidi was adjudged to be one of the best dribblers of his time, his carrier took a positive turn when his Former coach(Louis van gaal) told him to learn how to pass the ball after dribbling else He would not play him again, this Finidi did, Finidi at a time was adjudged to be one of the best passers of the ball in laliga ,some of the best midfielders today in the world studied some of Finidi passing techniques, Finidi is an indeed an UNSUNG HERO of his time

Great legend! Much respect

Hmm, Kanoute. I remember you

Good

This is nice. Never knew he made such great feats and impacts in laliga

Finidi George: African Legend



This week, we take a look at a dashing winger who, at one time, was considered one of the best in the world in his position


The Golden Age of Nigerian football had a couple of distinct features: Sunday Oliseh’s vision, Rashidi Yekini’s finishing, Jay-Jay Okocha’s trickery.

Arguably though, Finidi George’s deliveries from wide areas came to be considered as much a calling card as any of the above; to this day, the former Ajax winger is revered as the gold standard for Nigerian widemen.



THE PLAYER
Finidi George

Finidi made his name as a dashing winger in the 1990s, catching the eye as Nigeria qualified for a first-ever World Cup in 1994. There, as the Super Eagles dazzled the world, the Port Harcourt-born 23-year-old was in his element, forming a flying tag team on the wings with Emmanuel Amuneke.

It may have all turned out quite differently though. Called up to the national team by erstwhile coach Clemens Westerhof as a central midfielder with Sharks FC, Finidi arrived to fierce competition in that zone. Senior team mate Friday Ekpo had an epiphany then, directing the newbie to own a vacant position.

“You won’t find space,” Ekpo recollects telling a young Finidi. “There is no one at outside right, and you have speed. I will supply you balls, use your pace.”

It proved an inspired suggestion, and Finidi never looked back.

Club Honours
Nwankwo Kanu & Finidi George lift UCL in 1995

Though he would go on to acclaim with Dutch giants Ajax, Finidi caught the eye on home soil, being a part of the Heartland side (then known as Iwuanyanwu Nationale) that won the league title in 1990, thereby completing a three-peat.

By 1993, buoyed in no small part by his exploits with the national team, his star had risen sufficiently that Louis Van Gaal came calling. Ajax had fallen on hard times, and were looking in unfancied territory for budget gems. Van Gaal would later reveal he paid Finidi’s £3,000 fee out of his own pocket.

Safe to say the rewards were bountiful. Ajax’s young team subjugated Europe in 1995, beating holders AC Milan in the final to claim the Uefa Champions League crown, and got to the final the following year. Finidi made well over 80 appearances for the Amsterdam side, and is to this day one of only three Nigerians to have a Champions League winners’ medal.

With Ajax, he also won three consecutive Eredivisie titles and two Dutch Super Cups.

Country Honours
Nigeria World Cup 1994

Having debuted in 1991, it did not take long for Finidi to make himself a part of the furniture with the national team. In any case, scoring and laying on three assists for the team’s main striker on his first appearance did not hurt.

But 1994, the Super Eagles had secured a place at the World Cup, and were being heralded as an emerging power. In order to cement that reputation though, they first had to conquer the continent. Charity begins at home, as they say.

Westerhof’s side rose to the challenge admirably, beating Zambia in a tense final in Tunis to secure only a second title. Finidi started in every game from the quarter final on.

He would go on to have a wonderful summer, as Nigeria captured the imagination at the World Cup. He assisted twice and scored once, against Greece, and rolled out his famous peeing dog celebration.

The Match
GFX Nigeria Bulgaria

There is perhaps no purer distillation of the player Finidi was than in Nigeria’s very first game at a World Cup in 1994. The opposition: Bulgaria. After weathering an initial storm of pressure, the Super Eagles slowly began to exercise control on the game, before taking the lead through Rashidi Yekini.

The legendary forward roaring into the net has become an iconic image in world football, but it was Finidi’s low centre, after a quick dash behind the Bulgarian defence, that laid it on a plate for the Kaduna Bull.

The second half saw an even better ball, a booming cross from the right wing to the far post for Emmanuel Amuneke’s diving header. The arc on the delivery, the pace on it, and the vision to see the movement on the opposing flank; it is no wonder Finidi is the Nigerian standard for wing play to this day.

The Regret
Finidi George

For a player of his ability and pedigree, it will come as something of a surprise that, post-Ajax, Finidi’s club career was a lot less remarkable. He turned out for Real Betis, Real Mallorca and Ipswich Town in the English top flight, but before heading to Andalusia, a move to giants Real Madrid was on in 1996.

The transfer never went through though, even after a verbal agreement was reached between both parties, and Finidi joined the Verdiblancos instead. He would have his revenge two years later though, scoring at the Santiago Bernabeu as Betis ran out 1-0 winners – the last time, to this day, that Betis have beaten Real Madrid away from home.

They Said
GFX Finidi quote

“Kanu had so much quality and it was the same with Finidi George. They had something that we didn’t have. We had all learned how to play football on the streets, but their football upbringing was much more raw, and you can see how they benefitted from that.”

- Marc Overmars, Arsenal Magazine

“We also bought Finidi George. He was a Nigerian international. He was £3,000. I paid it by myself! And then, we bought Marc Overmars.”






His words:
My philosophy is to work hard at every given job or project. Even as a player, I realized that there is no short cut to success other than hard work and that is what I preach to my boys now.

- Finidi George, The Nation

He made that right wing his own...he was known as the gazelle

Remembered how he chipped that goal against Greece, then started the paddle-like dog walk, raised one leg as if to urinate....man was good.

We used to play our monkey-post, score a goal and the whole team will gather to choreograph that celebration...man don mumu for dis life aswear

Finidi George, one of Nigeria's best forward

finito

I still remember that year I watch this guy played on our black/white television

Their name no be finidi but them too dey judge

Guy sabi fear leg. No hard tackles.

Johnjanrt:
Interestingly educative, 9ja there we go.

Finidi, I know say one day you go make us proud.

Na so,

Where's the vaccine kept?

Olympiacos and CAF honoured and remembered Rasheedi Yekini, CAF honoured Eminike, Arsene Wenger acknowledge Kanu as his best striker ever, now LaLiga is honouring Finidi George all within a week


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One of thr Kalu brothers should/Could have made the list had they aimed higher. Chukwueze should work hard.

Why will they say ALL TIME...
Has the world ended... ?
Don't they know that a new MESSI from AFRICA is underway....

Impressive

Jacque Songo ahead of Idris Kameni?

Nice one... Nigerians are always recognised worldwide...
But....

I like him