Bruno Labbadia, recently named as the new head coach of the Super Eagles, has turned down the role.
This surprising development comes less than two weeks before crucial Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda, as reported by German media outlet Kicker.
Earlier, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had announced Labbadia’s appointment as a replacement for Finidi George, who resigned in May. The NFF stated, “Bruno Labbadia will be the 37th head coach of the Super Eagles. The NFF confirms an agreement with the German coach to lead the senior national team.”
However, just days before Labbadia was expected to start, it seems the NFF made the announcement too soon. Reports from Kicker reveal that while financial terms were mostly settled, there were still major organizational issues that led Labbadia to decline the offer.
Sources close to the discussions said that talks between the former Stuttgart coach and the NFF began last weekend and initially looked promising.
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Despite the NFF’s claims, Labbadia never officially agreed or signed any contract. Although he was interested in the job for its sporting opportunities, the unresolved issues eventually caused him to walk away.
Now, the NFF needs to find a new head coach quickly, with the AFCON qualifiers set to start in September.
Before Labbadia’s announcement, there was talk of former coach Austin Eguavoen taking over temporarily.
Another former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia, who recently completed a five-year ban, was also considered as an interim option.
In the meantime, the NFF has called up 23 players for the upcoming qualifiers. The squad includes Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, Nottingham Forest forward Taiwo Awoniyi, and stand-in captain William Troost-Ekong, who are all returning after long injury absences.
