NFF Appoints German Bruno Labbadia As New Super Eagles Coach

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced that Bruno Labbadia, a German coach, is the new head coach of the Super Eagles, effective immediately.

The NFF shared the news on their X account (@thenff) early Tuesday morning, August 27, 2024.

The statement read, “The Nigeria Football Federation has announced that it has reached an agreement with German tactician, Bruno Labbadia, to become the Head Coach of Nigeria’s senior men’s national team, Super Eagles.”

According to Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, the NFF’s General Secretary, the federation’s Executive Committee approved the recommendation from their Technical and Development sub-committee to appoint Labbadia as the new head coach.

Labbadia is the 37th coach to lead the Super Eagles, following the resignation of former coach, Finidi George.

George, who was appointed in May 2024, stepped down after failing to secure significant wins in two critical matches during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Under his leadership, the team only managed to earn three points, leaving them in fifth place in Group C.

The Super Eagles drew 1-1 with South Africa and then suffered a surprising 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in Abidjan.

With Labbadia as the new coach, the three-time African champions are hoping to improve their chances of qualifying for upcoming tournaments.

The team will begin their African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin Republic on September 7, followed by a match against Rwanda three days later.

Born on February 8, 1966, Labbadia is a former Bayern Munich player and has previously coached several German clubs, including Darmstadt 98, VfB Stuttgart, and Bayer Leverkusen.

The Super Eagles are expected to begin their training in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state on September 1st ahead of their match against Benin Republic and Rwanda.

KanyiDaily recalls that Nigeria’s Super Eagles recently dropped eight places to 38th in the FIFA rankings after poor performances in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.