By Roland Ike
Football fans in Ebonyi State have urged Nigerians to be patient with the newly appointed Super Eagles Head Coach, Bruno Labbadia for him to steer the team out of its present murky situation.
Labbadia’s appointment was announced on Tuesday by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF’) making the 58 year old German, the 37th head coach of the senior men’s national team.
Labbadia thus becomes the sixth German to handle the team after compatriots Karl- Heinze Marotzke, Gottlieb Goller, Manfred Hoener, Berti Vogts and Gernot Rohr.
The respondents in separate interviews in Abakaliki noted that the new helmsman would need time to rejuvenate the team especially in its present 2026 world cup qualification predicament.
Ikechukwu Itumo, Ebonyi Football Association Secretary said that Labbadia needs the cooperation of all Nigerians to succeed despite the pressure to deliver at all cost.
“Nigerians would seem impatient for immediate results due to the fear of missing two consecutive Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) world cups.
“The coach knows the precarious situation of the Super Eagles qualification but will definitely need time to implement all his redemptive strategies.”
Supporting Itumo’s assertion, Chidi Nlemigbo, defunct Udoji United Football Club of Awka’s back – winger, said that even the world’s best coach will face difficulties in seeing the eagles to the 2026 world cup.
“Nigeria is currently in a situation where it must win its remaining qualifiers both home and away and only a miracle can realistically achieve such a feat.
“Lobbadia has worked with several African players in his long Bundesliga coaching experience but will definitely need patience, support and cooperation of all to succeed.”
Jude Mbamalu, a Soccer historian urged the NFF to offer a long term contract to the new helmsman and not judge him with qualification for the 2026 world cup.
“Clemens Westerhof who eventually became the most successful Eagles coach faced this situation when he was appointed in 1989.
“Nigeria could not achieve the immediate task of 1990 world cup qualification but Westerhof later ensured the qualification of the country first world cup and second AFCON title in 1994.”
Iyke Igbokwe, former Head of the NFF’s disciplinary committee however dismissed Labaddia’s appointment as a “waste of time and the nation’s scarce resources.”
“Indigenous coaches and home based players who understand our football system are the solutions to the nagging problems bedeviling our football.
“There is no miracle a foreign coach will do that local coaches such as Emmanuel Amuneke would not do with commensurate incentives and administrative support,” he concluded.
