Nigeria’s long search for a head coach is in its final stages, but complications persist with two candidates left in the race.

The Super Eagles have been without a permanent boss since Finidi George stepped down only two matches into a two-year contract he signed as recently as May.

George, who was part of the Nigeria squad that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), had initially held the role in an interim capacity for the March international window.

He managed only one win throughout his four matches in charge, and the 2-1 defeat by Benin that rounded off his short-lived tenure leaves Nigeria languishing second from bottom in their 2026 World Cup qualifying group.

Amid much speculation, as well as the involvement of the country’s sports minister, Nigeria has honed in on two candidates: Swede Janne Andersson and Frenchman Herve Renard.

Whoever gets the nod, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is in a race against time as qualifying for the 2025 Afcon begins on 7 September.

Andersson represents the pragmatic option for Nigeria, both in profile and affordability.

Last year, the 61-year-old ended a seven-year spell in charge of Sweden, in which he reached the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup and the last 16 at the 2020 European Championship.

However, the latter years of his tenure were marked by underachievement and he resigned in November after failing to secure a place at either the 2022 World Cup or Euro 2024.

Anderson, who has only ever coached in Sweden, boasts a domestic league title win with IFK Norrkoping and is said to be enthused by the prospect of managing in Africa, despite reservations about his lack of experience outside his homeland.

Some critics have flagged concerns over the manner in which his time with Sweden ended, yet the NFF is convinced that Andersson has a professional approach.

His willingness to recall Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the international fold, even after the former AC Milan and Barcelona striker publicly questioned his competence, is seen as an illustration of his pragmaticism.

The only significant obstacle to his appointment is the fact that, for personal reasons, Andersson is only available to take on the role in mid-September.

By that point, Nigeria’s 2025 Afcon qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda will have taken place.

A workaround could see his assistant Peter Wettergren work alongside an interim – most likely NFF technical director Augustine Eguavoen – for those opening fixtures.

Can the NFF afford Renard?

Renard boasts the bigger profile of the two candidates - but would be a much more difficult appointment to pull off.

The Frenchman has enjoyed great success in African football, being the only coach to lift the Afcon trophy with two different nations.

Renard also led Morocco and Saudi Arabia to creditable showings at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively, famously beating eventual winners Argentina in a group match at the latter tournament.

His most recent appointment saw him lead France's women to respectable – but somewhat underwhelming - quarter-final exits at the 2023 Women's World Cup and this year's Olympics.

Recently overlooked for the United States men's national team job, the 55-year-old has received approaches from European, African, and Asian countries, even though he is not actively hunting for a new position.

Egypt is reportedly willing to offer him a $2m (£1.5m) annual salary, a figure that Nigeria would be unable to match.

His financial demands have been labelled as "practically outrageous" by a top NFF official, an interesting comment considering that Nigeria are offering the biggest contract for a head coach in their history.

Despite the financial constraints, Renard continues to be viewed as the favoured choice in light of his experience and winning record within African football.

He is also excited by the prospect of managing one of the continent's biggest nations.

Time, however, is running out for both parties to find common ground.

A bumpy ride ahead

Whichever man emerges from the recruitment process will have his work cut out.

What seemed to many like a comfortable World Cup qualifying draw has proven to be more difficult than expected, with unfancied Rwanda leading the way in Group C and only Zimbabwe boasting a worse record than Nigeria after four rounds of the 10-game campaign.

The new boss will also need to immediately get the media and a jaded fanbase onside.

The Super Eagles' run to the final of Afcon 2023 was unexpected and, given what has followed, can be considered a blip amidst an overall downward trend.

This is not unrelated to the absence of critical infrastructure within Nigeria's football administration.

There is currently no permanent home ground for men's and women's national teams, with recent fixtures mostly hosted in Uyo by default as the Godswill Akpabio Stadium is the only ground that satisfies the Confederation of African Football's requirements for international football.

Similarly, there is no bespoke training facility in the vein of England's St George’s Park or France's Clairefontaine, and arrangements are typically on an ad-hoc basis.

There is also the issue of players being owed allowances and match bonuses, one which persists within the current squad.

These drains on morale and performance are factors any prospective head coach will need to grapple with - and could be crucial as the Super Eagles bid to reach Afcon 2025 and salvage their ailing World Cup qualifying campaign.