The Nigeria Football Federation has officially announced that German coach Bruno Labbadia is the new Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men National Team, the Super Eagles.
This makes Labbadia the 37th coach to lead the team.
In an early Tuesday statement, NFF General Secretary Dr. Mohammed Sanusi said, “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. The appointment is with immediate effect.”
Bruno Labbadia, born on February 8, 1966, in Darmstadt, Germany, had a successful playing career, earning two caps for the German national team, Die Mannschaft. He played for several top clubs, including Bayern Munich, where he won the Bundesliga in 1994. As a coach, Labbadia has managed teams like Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, and Bayer Leverkusen. He also holds a UEFA Pro License.
Labbadia is the sixth German to coach the Super Eagles. His predecessors include Karl-Heinz Marotzke, who had two stints between 1970 and 1974, and Gernot Rohr, who led the team from 2016 to 2021. Rohr notably qualified and led Nigeria to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Labbadia’s immediate task is to prepare the Super Eagles for two crucial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches.
The first match is against Benin Republic on Saturday, September 7th, in Uyo, and the second is against Rwanda on Tuesday, September 10th, in Kigali. These matches are part of the journey to secure Nigeria’s place in the 2025 AFCON.
