The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has disclosed why Bruno Labbadia will not be taking on the role of the Super Eagles' head coach, despite a prior announcement of a deal with the German coach three days ago. The NFF explained that Labbadia requested the federation handle his tax obligations with the German government, which would amount to nearly 40 percent of his income, a demand the NFF found untenable.
In a statement released on Friday night, the NFF cited strict regulations from German tax authorities as a key factor obstructing the agreement with Labbadia for the position of Head Coach of Nigeria's Senior Men's Team, the Super Eagles.
Ibrahim Musa Gusau, President of the NFF, commented, "We've been dealing with the tax issue for the last three days, and I've clearly stated that the NFF cannot afford to cover the additional tax 
percentage, ranging from 32% to 40% of his salary, beyond the agreed monthly wage. After reaching the initial agreement and announcing his potential role as Head Coach, the tax issue emerged unexpectedly. Though we tried to be flexible during negotiations, Labbadia insisted the NFF should cover his full tax expense. We simply cannot manage that."
As a result, Coach Augustine Eguavoen, the NFF's Technical Director, will now oversee the Super Eagles in the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic (Uyo, September 7) and Rwanda (Kigali, September 10).