The appointment of Bruno Labbadia from Germany as the new coach of the Super Eagles was met with dissent, as numerous senior officials from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) claimed that the decision was imposed upon them.
They contended that it was a unilateral choice made by NFF President Ibrahim Gusau and the Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, contrary to the assertion in an official NFF statement that both the technical committee and the executive board had endorsed Labbadia’s selection.
During the final stages of the coaching selection process for the Super Eagles, members of both the NFF technical committee and the NFF board expressed their concerns about not being adequately involved in the proceedings. The NFF board meeting on Monday, where the president announced the new coach, was brief and did not facilitate any meaningful discussion.
Additionally, investigations have indicated that former Super Eagles captain Austin Okocha is a significant advocate for Labbadia’s appointment.
Okocha played for Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Bundesliga, where Labbadia also had a career as a striker and managed several clubs, including VfB Stuttgart. At 58 years old, Labbadia was a late contender for the head coach position of the Super Eagles, but he benefited from considerable “political support” from Sports Minister John Enoh.
This support was a crucial factor that positioned him ahead of other candidates, such as former Sweden coach Janne Andersson and Herve Renard, as reported by several senior officials to the media.
