Nigeria Appoints Bruno Labbadia as New Super Eagles Coach
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has named Bruno Labbadia as the new manager of the Senior Men’s National Team, the Super Eagles. This appointment comes after weeks of speculation and uncertainty following the abrupt departure of former coach Finidi George.
George’s tenure was marked by disappointment, as the Super Eagles stumbled in the early stages of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, drawing at home against South Africa and losing away to Benin Republic, led by former Eagles coach Gernot Rohr. Following George’s exit, the NFF embarked on a search for a new head coach, with several high-profile names linked to the job, including Swedish coach Janne Anderson, two-time AFCON winner Herve Renard, and Englishman Steve McClaren.
However, in a surprise move, the NFF chose Labbadia to lead the team. The German coach now faces the daunting task of preparing the Super Eagles for their next assignments, with less than three weeks to ready the team for crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Nigeria is set to face Benin Republic on September 7, followed by a clash against Rwanda three days later.
Labbadia’s appointment continues Nigeria’s historical connection with German coaches, following in the footsteps of Karl-Heinz Marotzke, Gottlieb Göller, Manfred Höner, Berti Vogts, and Gernot Rohr. Of these, only Höner and Rohr enjoyed relative success, with Höner leading the Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 1988 AFCON and Rohr guiding Nigeria to the 2018 FIFA World Cup and securing a bronze medal at the 2019 AFCON.
Labbadia brings a wealth of experience from club football, having managed since 2003. However, this marks his first foray into national team management and his first role outside of Germany. Over the course of 487 matches across eight different clubs, Labbadia has an overall win rate of 42%, with 214 wins, 103 draws, and 170 losses.
His most recent position, a second stint with Stuttgart, ended after the team dropped to the bottom of the league standings. While the specifics of Labbadia’s contract with the NFF have not been disclosed, his career history suggests that his tenure could be short-lived.
