Sport
Labbadia to Name Foreign Assistants for Super Eagles
Newly-appointed Super Eagles head coach Bruno Labbadia is set to name his foreign assistants, Labbadia’s appointment was confirmed on Tuesday. The German coach is expected to select two foreign assistants, while the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will appoint local coaches. Labbadia is reportedly considering Erdinç Sözer, Olaf Janßen, and Bernhard Trares for the roles.
Sözer, regarded as Labbadia’s most trusted assistant, is likely to be his top pick. The duo has collaborated at several clubs, including Bayer Leverkusen, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, and Hertha Berlin. Sözer is currently available after leaving Turkish club Samsunspor on June 30, 2024. Former center-back Trares began working with Labbadia in 2015 at Hamburg and later at VfB Stuttgart. He is also without a club. Janßen, currently the manager of Viktoria Köln, might not be available due to his current commitments.
Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has opened up about a difficult period in his career, revealing that he almost stepped away from football.
Speaking during a recent interview, Bassey shared that he once made a personal promise to himself to quit pursuing football professionally if he failed to secure a spot at a professional club.
“I remember being 15 and going into my final year, and I told myself that if I didn’t get into a professional club, I would quit football. It was that simple,” he said.
“I would just stop pursuing it seriously and only play for fun. Thank God I eventually got a club, because I honestly don’t know where I would be otherwise.”
It has been reported that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined Egypt $5,000 following their clash with Zimbabwe for failing to manage post-match media obligations.
It was noted that after the match, the Egyptian players ignored the media. This action was said to be a violation of CAF’s media regulations, which led to the fine being imposed.
Head of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, shared that the big-name players on the team are not happy about being benched.
He recalled when he took out Samuel Chukwueze during the match against Tanzania.
“Yes, of course, we’ve in this team a lot of big names. They are competitors; they aren’t happy when they go to the bench,” Chelle said at his post-match interview.”
“My job is to make choices, and we’re playing a 4-4-2 diamond, and at this moment I feel we have to protect the wing.”
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Super Eagles Star Calvin Bassey Opens Up on Nearly Walking Away from Football
