The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the appointment of Bruno Labbadia as the new head coach of the Super Eagles, ahead of the crucial African Cup of Nations qualifying match in September.
The announcement was made on the NFF’s official X account on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, following extensive discussions on who should lead the Super Eagles after Finidi George’s resignation. According to a statement released by the NFF’s General Secretary, Mohamed Sanusi, Labbadia is set to begin his role immediately, becoming the 37th head coach of the Nigerian men’s football team.
The statement read:
“The Nigeria Football Federation has announced that it has reached an agreement with German tactician Bruno Labbadia to become the Head Coach of Nigeria’s senior men’s national team, Super Eagles. The NFF Executive Committee has approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development sub-committee to appoint Mr. Bruno Labbadia as the Head Coach of the Super Eagles.”
Bruno Labbadia is the sixth German to coach the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of 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).
Labbadia brings a wealth of experience to the team, having coached several top European clubs, including Hertha Berlin and VfB Stuttgart in recent years, as well as VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, and Bayer Leverkusen. He also holds a UEFA Pro License, the highest coaching certification in European football.