Onigbinde Questions NFF's Decision to Appoint Labbadia as Super Eagles Head Coach

 

Former Super Eagles head coach, Adegboye Onigbinde, has stated that only the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) can provide reasons behind the appointment of Bruno Labbadia as the new manager of the senior national team.

The NFF announced the appointment of the German coach on Tuesday, August 27, following the departure of Finidi George. Labbadia faces the significant challenge of leading Nigeria to qualify for both the Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup.

Labbadia is a well-known figure in German football, both as a player and a coach. As a striker, he played for top clubs like Bayern Munich, Hamburg, and Cologne and earned two caps for the German national team. His coaching career has seen him manage several Bundesliga clubs, including Bayer Leverkusen, Wolfsburg, and Hamburg.

Despite his credentials, Onigbinde believes that the challenges facing Nigerian football go beyond technical matters and are rooted in deeper, internal issues within the organization. He emphasized that the reasons behind Labbadia's appointment can only be explained by those who made the decision.

"It is only the people who made the decision that can best explain why Labbadia was appointed as the Super Eagles head coach," Onigbinde said.

He further pointed out that Nigeria's problems in football are not due to a lack of coaching talent but rather administrative shortcomings. "Like I always say, the problem of Nigerian football is not technical but administrative. No matter how good a coach is, if the game's administration is not in order, there will be issues," he added.

Reflecting on his time as the head coach of the Super Eagles, Onigbinde noted that having talented players is not the only factor for success. "Haven't we seen an array of great talents in the Super Eagles? What has been the result? When I first handled the Super Eagles, I had a group of young players. So, it’s not just about having an array of talents," he concluded.

The NFF's decision to appoint Labbadia has sparked discussions, and only time will tell if this move will yield the desired outcomes for Nigerian football.