By Kayode John
German coach Bruno Labbadia has hailed Super Eagles attacking force, describing it as the best in the in the world.
Labbadia had agreed to become new Super Eagles head coach in August but the deal fell through after the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had announced the 58-year-old as a replacement for Finidi George.
As a former top striker, Labbadia is particularly impressed by the talents in Nigeria’s attack, which include Victor Osimhen and Victor Boniface.
Speaking on Martin Harnik’s podcast, “Flatterball”, Labbadia revealed why he had wanted to take the job.
“I was tempted to play in the Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup. Above all, to play in a World Cup with a team that would not have to hide from the big teams. Nigeria has an offence that is second to none. I have to say that honestly,” the former Bayern Munich and Germany striker said according to Bild.
Clarifying why he declined the Super Eagles coaching job, the ex-Bayer Leverkusen manager debunked NFF’s claim that the deal did not happen because of disagreement on financial terms.
“I wanted to go abroad. The basic requirement for me was: I have to go to Nigeria to see everything on site. And that was no longer possible after it was announced,” Labbadia stated.
“It was no longer about the pay. There were various organizational things that were problematic. And then things got tighter and tighter, so that I didn’t have two days left for the meeting with the national team.
“Then I pulled the ripcord because the feeling was getting worse and worse. I wanted to be there for four or five days before the team arrived to take a look at the conditions.”
