The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has officially appointed German tactician Bruno Labbadia as the Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men National Team, the Super Eagles, Okay.ng reports.
In a statement issued early Tuesday by Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Communications, it was confirmed that Labbadia’s appointment was approved by the NFF Executive Committee following the recommendation of its Technical and Development Sub-Committee.
“The NFF Executive Committee has approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development Sub-Committee to appoint Bruno Labbadia as the Head Coach of the Super Eagles. The appointment is with immediate effect,” said NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi.
Labbadia, 58, becomes the 37th head coach of the Super Eagles. Born in Darmstadt, Germany, on February 8, 1966, Labbadia has had a distinguished playing career that saw him earn two caps for the German national team, Die Mannschaft.
His club career included stints at top-tier teams such as Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, and Werder Bremen. He notably won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 1994.
Transitioning into management, Labbadia has coached several well-known teams in the Bundesliga, including Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, and Bayer Leverkusen. He holds a UEFA Pro License, marking him as one of the elite coaches in European football.
Labbadia joins an exclusive list as the sixth German to take the helm of the Super Eagles. His predecessors include Karl-Heinz Marotzke, who had two stints between 1970 and 1974, and Gernot Rohr, who managed the team from 2016 to 2021 and led Nigeria to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Labbadia’s immediate task will be to guide the three-time African champions through crucial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic on September 7 in Uyo, and Rwanda on September 10 in Kigali.
The qualifying campaign will continue with four additional matches scheduled in October and November.
