Labbadia's role as a potential savior for Nigeria is met with skepticism by numerous supporters
Who's Bruno Labbadia? Nigerians were curious when he was announced as their country's new national coach. Known for saving German Bundesliga teams from relegation, Labbadia was stepping into uncharted territory with a national team for the first time. His assignment was massive.
The Nigerian "Super Eagles" fans rose with a surprise on a Tuesday morning when they learned about their new national coach. Familiarity did not blossom with Bruno Labbadia, who was the least expected pick for many. "Where did they find him?", some fans quipped on social media.
The Nigerian newspaper "Daily Trust" attempted to introduce Labbadia, the new beacon of hope for Nigeria's struggling national team, with some facts. Yet, the skepticism of many fans refused to dissipate in the face of Labbadia's impressive resume - the 58-year-old had no prior experience working with African teams and had never handled the national team role before. Additionally, his previous performances in Stuttgart and Hertha BSC were perceived as underwhelming, some remarked.
Nonetheless, history favors German coaches in Nigeria: Labbadia, who was ousted by VfB Stuttgart in April 2023 as they teetered on the brink of relegation, became the sixth German to command the "Super Eagles' " bench, following Karl-Heinz Marotzke, Gottlieb Göller, Manfred Hoener, Berti Vogts, and Gernot Rohr.
World Cup qualifiers pose major obstacles
Regardless, these trivialities are likely to be insignificant to Labbadia, as the veteran Bundesliga coach and former striker is faced with formidable challenges. With only 12 days, he needs to prep his new team, including star strikers Victor Boniface of German champions Bayer Leverkusen and Victor Osimhen from SSC Napoli, for the opening Africa Cup qualifier encounter against Benin. Three days later, they would venture to Rwanda on the road.
From March, Labbadia's real mission commences – he's tasked with the World Cup qualifiers for the 2026 tournament in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. The situation does not bode well for Nigeria. Only the group winners can directly advance to the final stage, and the four best runners-up compete for the remaining slots through playoffs. Currently in Group C, Nigeria has five points in four games, and elimination seems imminent. Yet, now Labbadia's objective is to revive the "Super Eagles" dynamic.
Other football managers were also considered as potential replacements for the Nigerian national coach position, but Bruno Labbadia emerged as the surprising choice.Some fans felt that Labbadia's lack of experience working with African teams or managing a national team made him an otherworldly choice for the role.
