The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced the appointment of Bruno Labbadia as the new Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National Team, the Super Eagles. The decision, approved by the NFF Executive Committee, is effective immediately.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Labbadia, born in Darmstadt, Germany on February 8, 1966, had a notable playing career with clubs including Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Cologne, Werder Bremen, Armenia Bielefeld, and Karlsruher SC. He won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 1994. As a coach, he has managed teams such as Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, and Bayer Leverkusen, and holds a UEFA Pro License.
Labbadia becomes the sixth German to lead the Super Eagles, following Karl-Heinz Marotzke, Gottlieb Göller, Manfred Höner, Berti Vogts, and Gernot Rohr. Höner guided the team to the runner-up position in the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), while Rohr led Nigeria to the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals.
Labbadia’s first challenge will be overseeing the Super Eagles in two 2025 AFCON qualifying matches against Benin Republic on September 7 in Uyo, and Rwanda on September 10 in Kigali. The team will also play four additional qualifiers in October and November.
This appointment follows a recent draw against Benin Republic in the ongoing AFCON qualifiers. The Super Eagles, placed in Group D, will also face Libya and Rwanda. The qualifiers run from September 2024 to November 2025, with the competition scheduled for December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The Super Eagles are seeking redemption after a disappointing performance in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, where they earned only three points from four games. The team’s poor form, including a recent loss to Benin Republic, led to increased criticism and calls for a coaching change, resulting in George Finidi’s resignation just two months after his appointment.
