Five major achievements of new Super Eagles' coach, Labbadia

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appointed Bruno Labbadia as the new Head Coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles.

The 58-year-old last coached VfB Stuttgart in 2023. A striker during his playing days, Labbadia featured for several clubs, including FC Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, and Bayern Munich, during an eventful career.

Here are five key achievements of Labbadia’s illustrious career:

1. Extensive playing career:

Labbadia played for top German clubs, including Bayern Munich, where he won the Bundesliga title in 1994. His preferred formation is the 4-3-3 system, showing his adequate blend of modern football.

2. Bundesliga Coaching Stints:

Labbadia has managed several Bundesliga clubs, such as recently crowned champions, Bayer Leverkusen, Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, and Hamburger SV, gaining vast coaching experience.

3. Trophy cabinet:

Labbadia has two major trophies in his cabinet, both as a player. He won the DFB-Pokal in 1989-90 with 1. FC Kaiserslautern and the Bundesliga in 1993-94 with FC Bayern Munich.

4. UEFA pro license:

He holds a UEFA Pro License, the highest coaching certification in European football, reflecting his technical expertise. This ranks him among the top managers in the game today.

5. International experience:

He earned two caps for the German national team, showcasing his talents at the international level. These caps came at a time when the German team was highly competitive with highly gifted footballers. He also scored six goals for the West Germany U21 side during his stint.

Labbadia is the sixth German to coach the Super Eagles, following the likes of Berti Vogts and Gernot Rohr, and is tasked with leading Nigeria to success in upcoming competitions.

The former FC Köln boss’s immediate challenge is to take charge of the three-time African champions for two 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic (Saturday 7th in Uyo) and Rwanda (Tuesday, 10th September in Kigali), with four other matches to conclude the qualifying race in October and November.