Bruno Labbadia: How previous German coaches have performed on the Super Eagles job

In the early hours of August 27, 2024, the Nigerian Football Federation announced the appointment of former Bayer Leverkusen manager, Labbadia, as the new Super Eagles coach, ending months of uncertainty around the role.

His first point of call will be the African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda on September 7 and 10, respectively. 

Labbadia becomes the 23rd foreign coach that will handle the Super Eagles since Englishman John Finch, who was the first in 1949.

He is the sixth German in history to be appointed by the NFF, with the most recent before him being Gernot Rohr.

Here is how German coaches have fared on the Super Eagles job.

Marotzke, who had previously coached Ghana between 1968 and 1970, led the Super Eagles in two different stints during the 1970s. 

His first tenure lasted for two years, but his second stint failed to last beyond a year. Nigeria won nothing under him and did not make it to the 1972 and 1974 AFCON tournaments. 

The second German to take charge of the Super Eagles, Göller’s appointment came after a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Algeria in a World Cup qualifier, but he did not last beyond one game.

He had previously managed Nigerian club Julius Berger F.C. in the late 1970s. 

Arguably the most successful German coach in Super Eagles history, Hoener took Nigeria to the final of the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco but lost 1-0 to Cameroon to finish as runners-up.

He was also in charge of the Nigerian team that made it to the 1988 Summer Olympics. His tenure was marked by a strong performance and a promising future for Nigerian football.

Several decades after Hoener’s solid time as the Super Eagles coach, Nigeria once again turned to another German, Berti Vogts, in the late 2000s.

Vogts came with loads of experience, having previously managed Byer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga and the German national team.

He was handed a four-year contract, but his experience counted for little as his tenure ended after just 13 months. 

The German resigned after a poor performance at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, where the Super Eagles failed to make it beyond the quarterfinals as they were eliminated by hosts Ghana.

Eight years after Vogts’ disappointing tenure, the NFF once again turned to another German tactician, this time Gernot Rohr.

He was appointed as the Super Eagles head coach in August 2016, and his time was a mixture of highs and lows. 

Rohr helped Nigeria become the first African side to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and finished in third place at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. 

However, despite unearthing a considerable amount of diaspora talent during his time, he faced criticism for ignoring local talents and for his team's inconsistent performances in some matches. 

Despite qualifying for both the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and the final round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Rohr was ultimately sacked in December 2021.

Labbadia is yet to write his history as the Super Eagles coach, but he comes at a time when the Nigerian football populace is on the edge following the team’s poor start to the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.