The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced that Bruno Labbadia would be the new head coach of the Super Eagles.
This announcement came as a shock to many, as Labbadia had not been previously linked to the role.
The NFF had been in a desperate search for a new coach after failing to secure deals with other candidates like Janne Andersson and Herve Renard. However, just days after the announcement, German publication Kicker reported that the deal had collapsed.
The primary reason cited was Labbadia's demand for the NFF to cover his taxes in both Nigeria and Germany, which led to the withdrawal of the agreement.
Victor Oluwafemi, Content Lead at Football411, criticized the NFF's premature announcement, stating, "It’s quite alarming and shameful that the current NFF board went ahead to announce a new coach without signing the dotted lines. Who does that? Once again, they have portrayed themselves as disorganized and indifferent to the image of the Super Eagles team."
Solace Chukwu, Site Coordinator at AfrikFoot NG, echoed these sentiments, describing the situation as "the latest incidence of incompetence in a body that has come to symbolize that very concept." He added, "Even in getting the wrong sort of coach, the NFF cannot be trusted to do it right."
With crucial AFCON qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda on the horizon, Austin Eguavoen is expected to take charge of the Super Eagles in an interim capacity.
Chukwu believes that if Eguavoen manages to secure good results in these matches, it could pave the way for appointing a full-time indigenous coach.
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