Bruno Labbadia, who was recently appointed as the new Super Eagles manager, has turned down the role less than two weeks before crucial Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda, according to German publication Kicker.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had announced Labbadia’s appointment on Tuesday, naming him as the successor to Finidi George, who resigned in May. The NFF’s statement at the time read, “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, it appears the NFF may have acted prematurely, as reports indicate that while financial terms were mostly agreed upon, important organizational issues were left unresolved, leading to Labbadia’s decision to reject the offer.
Sources close to the negotiations revealed that discussions between Labbadia and the NFF, which began last weekend, initially seemed promising. Despite the federation’s announcement, Labbadia never formally committed or signed a contract.
The unresolved details ultimately proved to be a dealbreaker for the German coach, who was interested in the job’s sporting potential but could not overlook the issues at hand.
With the AFCON qualifiers set to begin in September, the NFF now faces the task of finding a new manager. Prior to Labbadia’s appointment, there was speculation that former coach Austin Eguavoen might take over temporarily. Another former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia, who recently completed a five-year football ban, was also mentioned as a possible interim option.
In the meantime, the NFF has called up 23 players for the upcoming qualifiers, including Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, Nottingham Forest forward Taiwo Awoniyi, and stand-in captain William Troost-Ekong, all returning to the squad after long injury layoffs.
