The Nigeria Football Federation has announced German tactician Bruno Labbadia as the head coach of Nigeria's senior men's national team, Super Eagles.
NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, said in the early hours of Tuesday: "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. The appointment is with immediate effect."
With his appointment, Labbadia is the sixth German to have managed the Super Eagles since 1949.
Labbadia's appointment comes at a crucial time for the team, as the Super Eagles have yet to win any of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying games and currently sit fifth in Group C, behind Rwanda, South Africa, Benin Republic, and Lesotho.
MEET THE 5 GERMAN COACHES WHO HAVE MANAGED SUPER EAGLES
Gernot Rohr (2016-2020)
The 71-year-old holds the title of the longest-serving coach in the history of the Super Eagles, having managed the team between 2016 and 2020.
During his tenure, Rohr led the team to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, with the team crashing out in the group stage. Similarly, he led Nigeria to a third-place finish at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Despite signing a new contract that included qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Rohr was sacked in December 2021, despite qualifying for the 2021 Africa Nation's Cup and final round of qualifying for the World Cup playoffs.
He is currently the head coach of neighboring Benin Republic and led his side to a 2-1 win over Nigeria in a World Cup qualifying match in June.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Berti Vogts (2007-2008)
Having previously managed Germany, Bayer Leverkusen, and Scotland, the now-77-year-old was appointed as the Super Eagles manager in January 2007. He signed a four-year contract to lead the team to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
However, Vogts' tenure was cut short after just a year when he resigned following Nigeria's disappointing performance at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
The former Germany captain cited differences with the then-president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as the reason for his resignation.
Manfred Höner (1988-1989)
He led the Super Eagles to a second-place finish at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Honer also led Nigeria to the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
Gottlieb Göller (1981)
Göller was appointed as the Super Eagles coach following a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Algeria in a World Cup qualifier for the 1982 World Cup, but he managed the team for only one game.
He had previous experience in Nigerian football, having managed Julius Berger F.C. in the late 1970s.
Karl-Heinz Marotzke (1970 and 1974)
Marotzke, who had previously managed Ghana, led the Super Eagles in the 1970s in a deal that lasted for just a year.
Labbadia's first match in charge is set to be the Nations Cup qualifier against Benin Republic in Uyo on 7 September, followed by a trip to Rwanda three days later.
