Nigeria Appoint Lagerback for World Cup

Managerless Nigeria have appointed former Sweden coach Lars Lagerback to take over the reigns of the side at this summer’s World Cup in South Africa in June. Lagerback succeeds Shaibu Amodu who was fired after the ‘Super Eagles’ finished a disappointing third at the African Nations Cup in Angola last month.

Lagerback was chosen ahead of two former England coaches Glenn Hoddle and Sven-Goran Eriksson, and former Senegal boss Bruno Metsu.

The Swede will watch Nigeria’s friendly against DR Congo on Wednesday and will be based in Nigeria from next month until the World Cup. Nigeria have drawn Argentina, Greece and South Korea in a group geographically covering the planet.

Lagerback has huge experience of international coaching. He became co-coach of his native Sweden in 2000, who qualified for Euro 2000, but lost in the group stages. In 2002, he led Sweden to the World Cup, where they lost to a Senegal side coached by Metsu, the man he has now beaten out for the Nigerian post.

Lagerback has Proven Track Record

Sweden reached the quarter-finals Euro 2004 where they lost to the Netherlands and two years later Lagerback took Sweden to their fourth consecutive qualification at the World Cup in Germany. Under Lagerback Sweden also qualified for Euro 2008 where they were eliminated in the group stage after losing 2-0 to Russia, their fifth successive qualification.

He quit as Sweden boss after they failed to qualify for this summer’s World Cup in a tough group including Denmark and Portugal who did qualify, and Hungary who didn’t. But now Lars Lagerback will get a second chance at World Cup glory in his new role with Nigeria.