Nigeria hired German coach Bruno Labbadia as the new head coach of its men’s national soccer team, aiming to revive its World Cup qualifying campaign. The announcement was made on Tuesday by Mohammed Sanusi, the general secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Labbadia, 58, has been unemployed since April 2023, following his dismissal from Stuttgart after the team’s poor performance in the Bundesliga. The Super Eagles are currently second from bottom in their 2026 World Cup qualifying group, having failed to secure a win in their first four matches.
Previously, Nigeria’s national team drew 1-1 with Lesotho and Zimbabwe in November last year. Under Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro, the team reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations but lost to host nation Ivory Coast in February.
Following Peseiro’s departure, his assistant, Finidi George, was promoted to head coach in April. However, George was unable to turn the team’s fortunes around, leading to a 1-1 draw with South Africa and a 2-1 defeat in Benin in June. He reportedly resigned after being left out of discussions regarding the appointment of a technical advisor, although the NFF did not officially confirm his resignation.
Labbadia’s coaching career includes stints with Hertha Berlin, Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, Bayer Leverkusen, and Darmstadt. He had a brief period at Stuttgart, where he achieved only two victories in 12 matches, including one in the league and one in the German Cup. His successor, Sebastian Hoeness, managed to save Stuttgart from relegation and achieved a club-record points total last season.
Labbadia will start his tenure with Nigeria in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin and Rwanda, scheduled for September 7 and 10, respectively.
