Finidi George
| Date of birth | 15 April 1971 |
| Place of birth | Port Harcourt |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Weight | 79 kg |
| Height | 1.85 m |
| Position | Midfielder/Forward |
A versatile player who can either take a wide midfield role or play up front, Finidi won his first cap for Nigeria against Burkina Faso in July 1991.
A veteran of two World Cup final tournaments and a member of the teams that won the African Nations' Cup in 1994 and the Olympic gold medal two years later, he remained a key figure for the Super Eagles.
At club level, he developed with Sharks before making his name in a three-year spell with Ajax.
Since then he has played in Spain with Real Betis and Real Mallorca prior to joining Ipswich Town in the 2001 close season.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ajax | |||
| Real Betis | |||
| Real Mallorca | 08 Aug 2001 | ||
| Ipswich Town | 08 Aug 2001 | 11 Jun 2003 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-01 | Real Mallorca | Primera Liga | 29 | 2 |
5 |
3
|
|
| 2001-02 | Ipswich Town | Premier League | 21 | 4 |
6 |
||
| 2001-02 | Ipswich Town | UEFA Cup | 4 | 1 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Ipswich Town | League Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Ipswich Town | League Division 1 | 3 | 7 |
1 |
||
| 2002-03 | Ipswich Town | UEFA Cup | 1 | 4 |
1
|
||
| 2003-04 | Real Mallorca | Primera Liga | 10 | 4 |
1
|
||
| 2003-04 | Real Mallorca | UEFA Cup | 2 | 1 |
1
|
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Aug 2001 | Sunderland v Ipswich Town | L | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 21 Aug 2001 | Ipswich Town v Derby County | W | 3-1 | Premier League | |
| 25 Aug 2001 | Ipswich Town v Charlton Athletic | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 08 Sep 2001 | Leicester City v Ipswich Town | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 16 Sep 2001 | Ipswich Town v Blackburn Rovers | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 20 Sep 2001 | Ipswich Town v Torpedo Moskva | D | 1-1 | UEFA Cup | 1st round 1st leg |
| 22 Sep 2001 | Manchester United v Ipswich Town | L | 4-0 | Premier League | |
| 27 Sep 2001 | Torpedo Moskva v Ipswich Town | W |
1-2 Agg: 2-3 |
UEFA Cup | 1st round 2nd leg |
| 30 Sep 2001 | Ipswich Town v Leeds United | L | 1-2 | Premier League | |
| 13 Oct 2001 | Ipswich Town v Everton | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 18 Oct 2001 | Ipswich Town v Helsingborgs | D | 0-0 | UEFA Cup | 2nd round 1st leg |
| 21 Oct 2001 | Fulham v Ipswich Town | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 01 Dec 2001 | Ipswich Town v Arsenal | L | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 06 Dec 2001 | Inter Milano v Ipswich Town | L |
4-1 Agg: 4-2 |
UEFA Cup | 3rd round 2nd leg |
| 09 Dec 2001 | Ipswich Town v Newcastle United | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 17 Dec 2001 | Aston Villa v Ipswich Town | L | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 22 Dec 2001 | Tottenham Hotspur v Ipswich Town | W | 1-2 | Premier League | |
| 26 Dec 2001 | Ipswich Town v Leicester City | W | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 29 Dec 2001 | Ipswich Town v Sunderland | W | 5-0 | Premier League | |
| 01 Jan 2002 | Charlton Athletic v Ipswich Town | L | 3-2 | Premier League | |
| 02 Mar 2002 | Ipswich Town v Southampton | L | 1-3 | Premier League | |
| 06 Mar 2002 | Leeds United v Ipswich Town | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 13 Mar 2002 | Blackburn Rovers v Ipswich Town | L | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 23 Mar 2002 | Ipswich Town v Aston Villa | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 30 Mar 2002 | West Ham United v Ipswich Town | L | 3-1 | Premier League | |
| 01 Apr 2002 | Ipswich Town v Chelsea | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 06 Apr 2002 | Bolton Wanderers v Ipswich Town | L | 4-1 | Premier League | |
| 21 Apr 2002 | Arsenal v Ipswich Town | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 27 Apr 2002 | Ipswich Town v Manchester United | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 18 Aug 2002 | Ipswich Town v Leicester City | W | 6-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 24 Aug 2002 | Millwall v Ipswich Town | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 26 Aug 2002 | Ipswich Town v Bradford City | L | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 29 Aug 2002 | Ipswich Town v FC Avenir Beggen | W |
8-1 Agg: 9-1 |
UEFA Cup | Qualifying round 2nd leg |
| 19 Sep 2002 | Ipswich Town v Sartid Smederevo | D | 1-1 | UEFA Cup | 1st round 1st leg |
| 24 Sep 2002 | Ipswich Town v Brighton and Hove Albion | W | 3-1 | League Cup | 2nd round |
| 28 Sep 2002 | Ipswich Town v Derby County | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 03 Oct 2002 | Sartid Smederevo v Ipswich Town | W |
0-1 Agg: 1-2 |
UEFA Cup | 1st round 2nd leg |
| 06 Oct 2002 | Wimbledon v Ipswich Town | W | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 08 Oct 2002 | Grimsby Town v Ipswich Town | L | 3-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 12 Oct 2002 | Ipswich Town v Sheffield Wednesday | W | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 19 Oct 2002 | Reading v Ipswich Town | L | 3-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 31 Oct 2002 | Ipswich Town v Slovan Liberec | W | 1-0 | UEFA Cup | 2nd round 1st leg |
| 03 Nov 2002 | Ipswich Town v Crystal Palace | L | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 06 Nov 2002 | Ipswich Town v Middlesbrough | W | 3-1 | League Cup | 3rd round |
| 09 Nov 2002 | Sheffield United v Ipswich Town | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 14 Nov 2002 | Slovan Liberec v Ipswich Town | L |
1-0 Agg: 1-1 |
UEFA Cup | 2nd round 2nd leg |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-92 | Nigeria | Africa Cup of Nations | 2 | 3 |
1 |
||
| 1992-93 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 2 | 2 |
1 |
||
| 1993-94 | Nigeria | Africa Cup of Nations | 3 | ||||
| 1993-94 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 6 | 2 |
|||
| 1993-94 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1994-95 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1995-96 | Nigeria | Afro-Asian Cup of Nations | 1 | ||||
| 1996-97 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 4 | ||||
| 1997-98 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 1997-98 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 3 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Nigeria | Africa Cup of Nations | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1999-00 | Nigeria | Africa Cup of Nations | 6 | 1 |
1
|
||
| 2000-01 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 4 |
1
|
|||
| 2001-02 | Nigeria | Africa Cup of Nations | 5 | 1 |
|||
| 2001-02 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Nigeria | LG Cup | 1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Jul 1991 | Nigeria v Burkina Faso | W | 7-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 4 |
| 14 Jan 1992 | Nigeria v Kenya | W | 2-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group A |
| 19 Jan 1992 | Nigeria v Zaire | W | 1-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Quarter-final |
| 23 Jan 1992 | Ghana v Nigeria | L | 2-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Semi-final |
| 25 Jan 1992 | Nigeria v Cameroon | W | 2-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | 3rd place |
| 10 Oct 1992 | Nigeria v South Africa | W | 4-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group D |
| 20 Dec 1992 | Congo v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group D |
| 16 Jan 1993 | South Africa v Nigeria | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group D |
| 27 Feb 1993 | Nigeria v Congo | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group D |
| 25 Sep 1993 | Nigeria v Ivory Coast | W | 4-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 2nd round group A |
| 08 Oct 1993 | Algeria v Nigeria | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group A |
| 09 Mar 1994 | Nigeria v Ghana | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Apr 1994 | Nigeria v Zaire | W | 2-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Quarter-final |
| 06 Apr 1994 | Nigeria v Ivory Coast | W | 2-2 (4-2) | Africa Cup of Nations | Semi-final |
| 10 Apr 1994 | Nigeria v Zambia | W | 2-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Final |
| 05 May 1994 | Sweden v Nigeria | L | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 25 May 1994 | Romania v Nigeria | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 21 Jun 1994 | Nigeria v Bulgaria | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group D |
| 25 Jun 1994 | Argentina v Nigeria | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group D |
| 30 Jun 1994 | Greece v Nigeria | W | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group D |
| 05 Jul 1994 | Nigeria v Italy | L | 1-2 | FIFA World Cup | Finals 2nd round |
| 16 Nov 1994 | England v Nigeria | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 10 Nov 1995 | Nigeria v Uzbekistan | W | 1-0 | Afro-Asian Cup of Nations | 2nd leg |
| 09 Nov 1996 | Nigeria v Burkina Faso | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 2nd round group 1 |
| 12 Jan 1997 | Kenya v Nigeria | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 2nd round group 1 |
| 05 Apr 1997 | Nigeria v Guinea | W | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 2nd round group 1 |
| 27 Apr 1997 | Burkina Faso v Nigeria | W | 1-2 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 2nd round group 1 |
| 22 Apr 1998 | Germany v Nigeria | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 29 May 1998 | Yugoslavia v Nigeria | L | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 05 Jun 1998 | Netherlands v Nigeria | L | 5-1 | International Friendly | |
| 13 Jun 1998 | Spain v Nigeria | W | 2-3 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group D |
| 19 Jun 1998 | Nigeria v Bulgaria | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group D |
| 24 Jun 1998 | Nigeria v Paraguay | L | 1-3 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group D |
| 28 Jun 1998 | Nigeria v Denmark | L | 1-4 | FIFA World Cup | Finals 2nd round |
| 24 Jan 1999 | Nigeria v Burundi | W | 2-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 5 |
| 23 Jan 2000 | Nigeria v Tunisia | W | 4-2 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group D |
| 28 Jan 2000 | Nigeria v Congo | D | 0-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group D |
| 03 Feb 2000 | Nigeria v Morocco | W | 2-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group D |
| 07 Feb 2000 | Nigeria v Senegal | W | 2-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Quarter-final |
| 10 Feb 2000 | Nigeria v South Africa | W | 2-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Semi-final |
| 13 Feb 2000 | Nigeria v Cameroon | L | 2-2 (3-4) | Africa Cup of Nations | Final |
| 27 Jan 2001 | Nigeria v Sudan | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group B |
| 10 Mar 2001 | Ghana v Nigeria | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group B |
| 21 Apr 2001 | Sierra Leone v Nigeria | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group B |
| 05 May 2001 | Nigeria v Liberia | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group B |
| 01 Jul 2001 | Sudan v Nigeria | W | 0-4 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group B |
| 28 Jul 2001 | Nigeria v Ghana | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group B |
| 12 Jan 2002 | Ivory Coast v Nigeria | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 21 Jan 2002 | Algeria v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals Group A |
| 24 Jan 2002 | Mali v Nigeria | D | 0-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals Group A |
| 28 Jan 2002 | Liberia v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals Group A |
| 03 Feb 2002 | Nigeria v Ghana | W | 1-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals quarter-final |
| 07 Feb 2002 | Nigeria v Senegal | L | 1-2 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals semi-final |
| 09 Feb 2002 | Mali v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals 3rd place |
| 30 May 2003 | Nigeria v Ghana | W | 3-1 | LG CUP | Semi-final |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.