FULL LIST: Nigeria’s Super Eagles head coaches from 1949 till 2024

Top 10 Super Eagles Coaches Of All Time Ranked

Top 10 Super Eagles Coaches Of All Time Ranked

 OpenLife News reports that Clemens Westerhof is widely regarded as the greatest Super Eagles coach of all time, having built Nigeria’s “Golden Generation,” won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), and reached the FIFA World Cup Round of 16. 
Ranked lists from Nigerian football history highlight the top managers based on major titles, World Cup qualifications, and overall impact: 

RankCoachNationalityKey Achievements
1Clemens WesterhofNetherlands1994 AFCON Winner, 1994 World Cup Round of 16, FIFA Ranking 5th (1994)
2Stephen KeshiNigeria2013 AFCON Winner, 2014 World Cup Round of 16 (Captain & Coach legend)
3Johannes BonfrereNetherlands1996 Olympic Gold Medal (U23/Dream Team), 2000 AFCON Runner-up
4Otto GlóriaBrazil1980 AFCON Winner (Nigeria’s first continental title)
5Shuaibu AmoduNigeria3 World Cup qualifications, multiple AFCON 3rd-place finishes
6Gernot RohrGermany2018 World Cup qualification, 2019 AFCON 3rd-place finish
7Adegboye OnigbindeNigeria1984 AFCON Runner-up, 2002 World Cup manager
8Christian ChukwuNigeria2004 AFCON 3rd-place finish, former national team captain and coach
9Bora MilutinovićSerbia (Yugoslavia)1998 World Cup Round of 16 qualification
10Jelisavčić ‘Father Tiko’ TihomirYugoslaviaBack-to-back AFCON bronze medals (1976, 1978)

FULL LIST: Nigeria’s Super Eagles head coaches from 1949 till 2024

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Tuesday, August 27, approved the appointment of German coach Bruno Labbadia as the 37th head coach of the Super Eagles.

The decision followed the resignation of Finidi George.

Labbadia  led the Super Eagles as they gear up for the 2025 African Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Since 1949, Nigeria has seen a total of 37 head coaches for its national football team.

Full List

1. John Finch (England) – 1949

2. Daniel Anyiam (Nigeria) – 1954-1956; 1964-1965

3. Les Courtier (England) – 1956-1960

4. Moshe Beit Halevi (Israel) – 1960-1961

5. George Vardar (Hungary) – 1961-1963

6. Joey Blackwell (England) – 1963–1964

7. József Ember (Hungary) – 1965-1968

8. Sabino Barinaga (Spain) – 1968-1969

9. Peter ‘Eto’ Amaechina (Nigeria) – 1969-1970

10. Karl-Heinz Marotzke (Germany) – 1970-1971; 1974

11. Jorge Penna (Brazil) – 1972-1973

12. Jelisavčić ‘Father Tiko’ Tihomir (Yugoslavia) – 1974-1978

13. Otto Glória (Brazil) – 1979-1982

14. Gottlieb Göller (Germany) – 1981

15. Adegboye Onigbinde (Nigeria) – 1983-1984; 2002

16. Chris Udemezue (Nigeria) – 1984-1986

17. Patrick Ekeji (Nigeria) – 1985

18. Paul Hamilton (Nigeria) – 1987; 1989

19. Manfred Höner (Germany) – 1988-1989

20. Clemens Westerhof (Netherlands) – 1989-1994

21. Amodu Shaibu (Nigeria) – 1994-1995; 1996-1997; 2001-2002; 2008-2010

22. Johannes Bonfrere (Netherlands) – 1995-1996; 1999-2001

23. Philippe Troussier (France) – 1997

24. Monday Sinclair (Nigeria) – 1997-1998

25. Bora Milutinović (Yugoslavia) – 1998

26. Thijs Libregts (Netherlands) – 1999

27. Christian Chukwu (Nigeria) – 2002-2005

28. Augustine Eguavoen (Nigeria) – 2005-2007; 2010; 2022

29. Berti Vogts (Germany) – 2007-2008

30. Lars Lagerbäck (Sweden) – 2010

31. Samson Siasia (Nigeria) – 2010-2011; 2016

32. Stephen Keshi (Nigeria) – 2011-2014; 2015

33. Sunday Oliseh (Nigeria) – 2015-2016

34. Gernot Rohr (Germany) – 2016-2021

35. José Peseiro (Portugal) – 2022-2024

36. Finidi George (Nigeria) – 2024

37. Bruno Labbadia (Germany) – 2024-present

The latest addition to the Super Eagles’ coaching staff is German coach Bruno Labbadia, who assumed the role in August 2024.

Labbadia is the sixth German to manage the team, following Karl-Heinz Marotzke, Gottlieb Göller, Manfred Höner, Berti Vogts, and Gernot Rohr.

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