Super Eagles Coach Search Restarted as Labbadia Deal Fails

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) had agreed to hire Bruno Labbadia as the head coach of the Super Eagles, but the deal fell through due to tax issues. The German tax authorities require a percentage of Labbadia’s salary, which the NFF cannot afford to pay on top of his monthly wage.

NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau explained that the tax details were not part of the initial agreement and Labbadia had agreed to the terms before the tax issue arose. However, Labbadia insisted that the NFF pay the full tax amount, which they cannot do.

The NFF had been trying to find a solution to the tax issue for three days, but ultimately decided to end the agreement with Labbadia. Gusau stated that the NFF cannot shoulder the responsibility of paying an additional 32% to 40% of Labbadia’s salary in taxes.

As a result, Augustine Eguavoen, the Technical Director of the NFF, will take charge of the Super Eagles for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic and Rwanda. This will be Eguavoen’s fourth stint as head coach of the team.