The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced the appointment of German coach Bruno Labbadia as the Head Coach of the Super Eagles, Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National Team.
In a statement released early Tuesday, 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, effective immediately.”
Born in Darmstadt, Germany, on February 8, 1966, Labbadia earned two caps for the German national team during his playing career, which included stints at clubs such as Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Cologne, Werder Bremen, Arminia Bielefeld, and Karlsruher SC. He won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich as a player in 1994.
As a coach, Labbadia has managed notable teams like Hertha Berlin and VfB Stuttgart in recent years, as well as VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, and Bayer Leverkusen. He holds a UEFA Pro License.
Labbadia becomes the sixth German to lead the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of Karl-Heinz Marotzke (who had two stints between 1970 and 1974), Gottlieb Göller (1981), Manfred Höner (1988-1989), Berti Vogts (2007-2008), and Gernot Rohr (2016-2021).
Höner led the Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, while Rohr guided Nigeria to qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Labbadia’s immediate task is to lead the three-time African champions in two 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic on Saturday, September 7th, in Uyo, and against Rwanda on Tuesday, September 10th, in Kigali. Four additional qualifying matches will follow in October and November.
His appointment follows the Super Eagles’ recent draw against familiar rivals, Benin Republic, in the qualification race for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Placed in Group D, the Super Eagles will face Benin Republic, who recently defeated them in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
During the draw ceremony held last month in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nigeria was also drawn to play against Libya and Rwanda—both of whom are also part of the Super Eagles’ group for the World Cup qualifiers in the USA, Canada, and Mexico in 2026.
The qualifiers for the 2025 AFCON will take place from September to November 2025, with the tournament itself scheduled from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
Caged Eagles
The 2025 AFCON qualifiers present a crucial opportunity for redemption for the Super Eagles, who have faced a series of setbacks since finishing as runners-up in the competition earlier this year.
In the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, the Super Eagles secured only three points from four games, with their latest disappointment being a loss to the Cheetahs of Benin Republic.
This defeat sparked widespread criticism from fans, who questioned how a team featuring Africa’s best player, Victor Osimhen (who did not play against Benin), and other stars could underperform.
The outcry led to increasing demands for the dismissal of George Finidi as the head coach. Shortly after, Finidi resigned from his position, just two months after his appointment.