The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has revealed that the deal with Bruno Labbadia to become the new head coach of the Super Eagles has fallen through.

The NFF stated that the appointment could not proceed due to “tax details.” The NFF president, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, explained that the tax issue was not discussed during the initial negotiations, and Labbadia had agreed to all terms before the tax matter came up.

The NFF expressed disappointment that Labbadia insisted on the full tax amount being paid by the federation, which they deemed unfeasible.

As a result, NFF’s technical director Augustine Eguavoen will take charge of the 2025 Nations Cup qualifiers, starting with a home game against Benin on 7 September and an away game in Rwanda on 10 September.

This will be Eguavoen’s fourth stint as the temporary head coach of the Super Eagles. Following the departure of the previous coach, Jose Peseiro, and Finidi George, fans are eager for the team to find stability once again.