Bruno Labbadia’s highly anticipated appointment as Nigeria’s head coach has been canceled after negotiations between the German tactician and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) fell apart.
Labbadia, who had been announced as the new Super Eagles head coach by the NFF on Tuesday, will no longer take up the role after discussions between both parties broke down. The initial announcement had been made despite unresolved issues regarding payment terms.
The 58-year-old coach was set to lead Nigeria in their upcoming African Nations Cup double-header against Benin Republic and Rwanda next month. However, the deal unraveled when Labbadia insisted on the payment of his taxes in both Nigeria and Germany, a demand that the NFF could not meet.
The NFF expressed disappointment at the timing of Labbadia’s withdrawal, which comes just a week before the Super Eagles’ crucial matches against Benin Republic and Rwanda.
Labbadia, who previously managed Bundesliga teams such as Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart, was met with skepticism from many Nigerians when his appointment was first announced. Critics pointed to his limited managerial success and lack of experience at the national team level as reasons for concern.
At this stage, there is no indication that negotiations will resume, with the NFF likely to explore other options for the Super Eagles’ head coaching position.
The Super Eagles are scheduled to host Benin on September 9 at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium before traveling to Kigali to face Rwanda three days later.
