The decision to appoint German coach Bruno Labbadia as the new coach of the Super Eagles was not reached by consensus, with several senior officials of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) alleging that the coach was imposed on them.
These officials claimed that the appointment was a unilateral decision made by NFF President Ibrahim Gusau and the Sports Development Minister, Senator John Enoh, contrary to the NFF’s official statement, which suggested that both the technical committee and the executive board had endorsed Labbadia’s selection.
During the final stages of the selection process, members of the NFF technical committee and the NFF board expressed concerns about being excluded from key decisions. The NFF board meeting on Monday, where the president announced Labbadia’s appointment, was reportedly brief, leaving no room for discussion.
Further investigations have revealed that former Super Eagles captain Austin Okocha was a key supporter of Labbadia. Okocha, who played for Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Bundesliga while Labbadia was also active in the league as a striker, is said to have played a significant role in promoting Labbadia’s candidacy. Labbadia, 58, was a late entry into the race for the Super Eagles coaching position but ultimately prevailed due to strong “political support” from Sports Minister John Enoh, according to several senior NFF officials. This support reportedly helped him secure the role over other candidates, including former Sweden coach Janne Andersson and Hervé Renard.