The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has made a bold step for the appointment of Malian tactician Éric Chelle as the new head coach of the Super Eagles.
Chelle’s proposed appointment is coming after a thorough selection process, which saw him emerge as the preferred choice to replace Finidi George, who resigned following a poor performance in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Chelle boasts an impressive coaching record, having led the Mali national team to the quarterfinals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
According to reports, Nigeria’s sports Minister John Owan was in Paris today to negotiate final details of the deal with his agent before the announcement.
Chelle’s first assignment will be to prepare the Super Eagles for the AFCON 2025 qualifiers, which begin in September. He has already submitted a list of players to be invited for the first leg of the qualifiers.
NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau, expressed confidence in Chelle’s ability to lead the Super Eagles to success, saying, “We believe Chelle has the expertise and experience to take our team to the next level.”
