Former German international Bruno Labbadia has been appointed as Nigeria’s new coach, making him the third person to take on the role this year. The announcement was made by the Nigeria Football Federation on social media, stating that his appointment is effective immediately. Labbadia’s contract details were not disclosed. The 58-year-old, who has previously coached in the Bundesliga with clubs like Bayer Leverkusen and Hertha Berlin, will lead Nigeria as they begin their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Benin and Rwanda.
Labbadia’s appointment comes after Finidi George, who was previously in charge, managed the team for four matches earlier in the year. Labbadia, who had a short career as a player, winning two caps for Germany and playing as a striker at Bayern Munich, will focus on qualifying the Super Eagles for the next Cup of Nations finals, set to be held in Morocco in late 2025. Nigeria is the top seed in a group that includes Libya, with the top two teams securing qualification.
From next March, Labbadia will face a tougher challenge as Nigeria resumes World Cup qualifying. The team is winless after their opening four games in African qualifying Group C, sitting fifth out of six teams with six more matches to play in hopes of securing a spot at the 2026 finals in North America. Nigeria’s poor start comes as a surprise, considering their strong performance in reaching the Cup of Nations final in the Ivory Coast earlier in the year.
The decision to appoint Labbadia follows the departure of Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro, who was not offered a contract renewal despite Nigeria’s impressive run in the Cup of Nations. Nigeria has a history of hiring foreign coaches, including German World Cup winner Berti Vogts and Serbian Bora Milutinovic, given the challenging nature of the job due to demanding fans and administrative challenges. The Super Eagles have a strong football history, being three-time African champions and qualifying for six of the last eight World Cups.
Nigeria has had a long list of foreign coaches, with Labbadia being the latest addition. Despite their success in previous tournaments, the team faces challenges in the ongoing World Cup qualifying matches. Labbadia will need to navigate through the tough competition to secure a spot in the 2026 finals in North America. As a seasoned coach with experience in the Bundesliga, Labbadia brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his new role with Nigeria, and fans will be eagerly anticipating his impact on the team’s performance on the field.
