The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has officially appointed German coach Bruno Labbadia as the new head coach of the Super Eagles, effective immediately. The NFF made the announcement early Tuesday via their official X (formerly Twitter) account, posting under the handle #thenff.
The statement read, “The Nigeria Football Federation has confirmed that it has reached an agreement with German tactician Bruno Labbadia to take on the role of Head Coach for Nigeria’s senior men’s national team, the Super Eagles.”
Who is Bruno Labbadia?
Born on February 8, 1966, in Darmstadt, Germany, Bruno Labbadia enjoyed a distinguished playing career, earning two caps for the German national team.
He played for several prominent clubs, including Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Cologne, Werder Bremen, Arminia Bielefeld, and Karlsruher SC. His playing career peaked when he won the German Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in 1994.
As a coach, Labbadia has managed several well-known German teams, such as Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, and Bayer Leverkusen.
He holds a UEFA Pro License, the highest coaching certification in European football. Labbadia becomes the sixth German to manage the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of coaches like Berti Vogts (2007-2008) and Gernot Rohr (2016-2021).
Challenges Ahead
Labbadia’s first major task will be to lead the Super Eagles in two crucial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches against Benin Republic on September 7 in Uyo and Rwanda on September 10 in Kigali.
These games are critical as they are part of the qualification campaign for the 2025 AFCON, which will take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
Placed in Group D, Nigeria faces a tough challenge as they prepare to meet Benin Republic, a team that recently defeated them in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The Super Eagles will also compete against Libya and Rwanda in their quest to qualify for the AFCON and the upcoming World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico in 2026.
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