The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has officially appointed German football coach Bruno Labbadia as the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles, Nigeria’s senior men’s national football team. Labbadia becomes the 37th coach in the history of the Super Eagles and the sixth German to hold the position.
On Tuesday, NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, confirmed the appointment, stating, “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.”
Born on February 8, 1966, in Darmstadt, Germany, Labbadia has had a distinguished career both as a player and a coach. During his playing career, Labbadia represented clubs such as Hamburger SV, Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen, and others. He also earned two caps for the German national team, Die Mannschaft, and won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 1994. As a coach, Labbadia has managed several top German teams, including VfB Stuttgart, Hertha Berlin, and VfL Wolfsburg.
Labbadia now faces the task of leading Nigeria in two crucial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches. His first test will be against Benin Republic on September 7 in Uyo, followed by a match against Rwanda on September 10 in Kigali. His role will involve preparing the team for future qualifiers in October and November as well.
