Jonathan Akpoborie believes Labbadia’s appointment is an upgrade for Super Eagles

Jonathan Akpoborie believes Bruno Labbadia’s appointment as Super Eagles coach marks an upgrade for the three-time African champions.


Former Super Eagles striker Jonathan Akpoborie has backed Bruno Labbadia to succeed as the head coach of Nigeria’s senior men’s national team.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed Labbadia’s appointment as the Super Eagles’s 37th coach on Tuesday, 27 August. The German replaces Finidi George, who resigned from the role in June.

While Labbadia’s appointment has sparked mixed reactions, Akpoborie is convinced that the German is an upgrade for the three-time African champions. “Appointing him as the Super Eagles coach is an upgrade compared to the names that have handled the team in the past,” the 55-year-old told Brila.net.

“Bruno was a prolific striker; we were adversaries in the Bundesliga. He played for many big clubs in Germany and is a very good player and a well-known coach there.”

Despite his confidence in Labbadia’s capabilities, Akpoborie admitted that the uncertainties of football might work against the Eagles’s new gaffer.

“We are just hoping now, because in football, you never can tell. But putting that aside, they’ve picked somebody capable of actually handling our national team for a very long time.

“This is someone who can manage our national team, and I’m hoping that the chemistry between him and the players will come together, and we’ll see good football from Nigeria.”

Since he began coaching in 2003, Labbadia has overseen 214 wins, 103 draws, and 170 losses in 487 games. The 58-year-old has managed clubs like Bayer Leverkusen, Wolfsburg, Stuttgart, and Hertha Berlin. Nigeria’s coaching position will be his first national team appointment.

Labbadia’s era as the new Super Eagles coach will begin in September when the three-time African champions start their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign against Benin Republic on September 7 and Rwanda on September 10.