Rivers United have confirmed that their head coach Finidi George was not in the dugout for Wednesday's Nigeria Premier Football League clash against Warri Wolves because he is attending the CAF A-License Coaching Course in Abuja.

The Port Harcourt club addressed questions from supporters via their official X account, explaining that Finidi is among a select group of elite coaches participating in the programme. "For those asking, 'Where is Finidi George? Why was he not on the bench against Warri Wolves on Wednesday', he is in Abuja with top coaches for the CAF A-License Coaching Course — the elite continental coaching programme returned to Nigeria after nine years," the club wrote. "So, no problem, the coach wants to upgrade!"

A landmark return for Nigeria

Nigeria was readmitted to the CAF A Coaching Convention in 2026, after the Confederation of African Football approved the Nigeria Football Federation's updated curriculum. The country had not hosted an A-License course since around 2017, making the programme's return a significant moment for coaching development in the country.

In the intervening years, the NFF continued to run D-, C-, and B-License courses domestically, including a women-only CAF C-License programme in 2025.

Course structure and eligibility

Plans announced in mid-2026 outlined a six-module course running from roughly August 2026 through to February 2027, with a participation fee of ₦3,000,000 for Nigerian coaches and $3,000 for foreign participants. The programme was limited to 25 candidates who held a CAF B diploma and satisfied other elite-level criteria. The current edition appears to have been adjusted to a two-module format.

For Finidi — a former Super Eagles winger who has built a coaching career since retiring from professional football — the course represents an opportunity to earn one of African football's most respected coaching qualifications.