The Nigerian Football Federation recently announced that they’ve appointed Bruno Labbadia, a German coach, as the new head coach of the Super Eagles 1.
This news came after a lengthy search for a new coach for the Nigerian men’s national team.
The NFF Secretary General, Mohammed Sanusi, confirmed that Labbadia will take charge of the Super Eagles, effective immediately.
Bruno Labbadia was born in Darmstadt, Germany on February 8, 1966.
He had a brief stint playing for the German national team, Die Mannschaft, earning two caps.
As a coach, Labbadia has managed several prominent teams, including Hertha Berlin and VfB Stuttgart, and previously, VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, and Bayer Leverkusen.
He holds a UEFA Pro License and has been appointed to lead the Nigerian Super Eagles in the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic and Rwanda.
This makes him the sixth German to coach the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of Karl-Heinz Marotzke, Gottlieb Göller, Manfred Höner, Berti Vogts, and Gernot Rohr.
Labbadia’s first assignment is to lead the three-time African champions in crucial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic on September 7th in Uyo and Rwanda on September 10th in Kigali, with four additional matches to follow in October and November, determining the team’s qualifying fate.
