Breaking! NFF Confirms Signing Of German Tactician As Super Eagles Coach

Breaking! NFF Confirms Signing Of German Tactician As Super Eagles Coach

By Niyi Busari

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has completed agreement to sign Bruno Labbadia as Super Eagles Coach.

In a chat with BSN Sports, a top official who spoke on condition of anonymity said, "Nigerians are yearning for a coach with pedigree that can turn things around for the Super Eagles and that's why we go for this great coach." The source said.

"As we speak, I can tell you authoritatively that we have completed agreement with the German tactician to be next Super Eagles Coach. 

Bruno Labbadia, born 8 February 1966, is a German football manager and former player who played as a striker. He won the DFB-Pokal in 1989-90 with 1. FC Kaiserslautern and the Bundesliga in 1993-94 with FC Bayern Munich. He was also capped twice for the German team. Started managerial career with Darmstadt 98 from 2000 to 2003. He last managed VfB Stuttgart in 2022/23 season .

He is only the sixth German, after Karl-Heinz Marotzke (who had two stints between 1970 and 1974), Gottlieb Göller (1981), Manfred Höner (1988-1989), Berti Vogts (2007-2008) and Gernot Rohr (2016-2021) to lead the Super Eagles. Höner led the Eagles to runner-up position at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, while Rohr qualified and led Nigeria to the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia.

Labbadi’s immediate challenge is to take charge of the three-time African champions for two 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic (Saturday 7th Septemberin Uyo) and Rwanda (Tuesday, 10th Septemberin Kigali), with four other matches to conclude the qualifying race following in the months of October and November.

Super Eagles will face Benin Republic on 7th September and three days later will trade tackles with Rwanda in the 2025 African Nations Cup qualifier.