The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has officially confirmed that Bruno Labbadia will not be taking charge of the Super Eagles, despite earlier reports suggesting an agreement had been reached.
This announcement aligns with an earlier report by Bold Sports, which revealed that the German coach had declined the role, according to Kicker.
The unexpected development stems from complications related to German tax laws, as stated in a statement from the NFF Communications Department.
NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau explained, “We have been addressing the tax issue for the past three days, and I made it clear to him that there was no way the NFF could agree to cover the additional tax percentage on his salary that would be required by the German tax authorities.”
Gusau further stated that it was unfeasible for the NFF to shoulder the additional financial burden of 32% to 40% of Labbadia’s salary to cover his tax obligations in Germany.
The NFF also clarified that while an agreement in principle had been reached with Labbadia, leading to the premature announcement of his appointment, the tax implications were not discussed during the initial negotiations. “We were trying our best to be flexible in the discussions, but he insisted that the NFF should pay the full tax amount as well. We simply cannot do that,” Gusau added.
In light of this development, the NFF has appointed a familiar face to lead the Super Eagles in their upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches. Augustine Eguavoen, the Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation, will take charge of the team for their games against Benin Republic in Uyo on September 7 and Rwanda in Kigali on September 10.
This appointment marks Eguavoen’s fourth stint as head coach of the three-time African champions. He previously led the team from 2005 to 2007, briefly in 2010, and again in 2022. His experience and familiarity with the squad are expected to provide stability as the team continues its quest for qualification to the Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
