Former Liberia coach Roberto Landi expresses interest in ‘dream’ Super Eagles job

Former Liberia head coach Roberto Landi has expressed his interest in the vacant Super Eagles coaching role, Soccernet.ng reports.

Calling it the dream job for any coach, Landi highlighted the quality of Nigerian players and the country’s passion for football.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is looking for a foreign technical adviser following the team’s poor performance in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

This led to the resignation of former coach Finidi George after just two games in charge.

Finidi took over in April from Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro, who led the team to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. However, Finidi stepped down after a 1-1 draw with South Africa and a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in the World Cup qualifiers.

The NFF is reportedly keen on hiring a foreign coach for the Super Eagles and Landi believes he has the credentials to lead the former African champions.

“Yes, it’s a dream for a coach to train a top senior national team like Nigeria,” Landi told The Punch.

“If you speak with Massimiliano Allegri and some Serie A coaches, if you offer Nigeria, it’s a dream because you represent more than 200 million people and among the top 20 strong countries in the world (not by FIFA rankings).”

Landi was born in Forlì and started as a goalkeeper with Piacenza’s youth team in 1966.

He played for Modena, Ravenna, and Siena before moving to the North American Soccer League in 1979. 

The shotstopper also played for Vancouver Whitecaps, Chicago Sting, Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa, and New York Cosmos before retiring at 30.

Landi began as a goalkeeping coach for the United States national team during the 1990 and 1994 World Cups.

He coached various teams, including the Georgia U21, Lithuania U21, and National Bucharest. He also managed Qatar U21, FC Sopron in Hungary, Livingston in Scotland, and Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium.

In 2011, he became head coach of the Liberia national team but was sacked in 2012 after winning six of 18 matches. His most recent coaching role was with Italian lower league side Rimini, which he left in 2017.