The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced the appointment of Éric Chelle as the new head coach of the Super Eagles, ending months of wait for a permanent handler for the national team.
This follow the recommendation of its technical and development sub-committee for the appointment of former national team handler as head coach of Nigeria’s senior men’s national football team.
The Super Eagles have been without a substantive head coach since the exit of Jose Peseiro after expiration of his contract at the conclusion of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations early last year in Cote d’Ivoire.
Ex-Nigerian international Augustine Eguavoen served as the team’s interim head coach through the first stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and oversaw Nigeria’s qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations last year.
“At its meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, 2nd January 2025, the NFF Technical and Development Sub-Committee had recommended the appointment of former coach of the senior men national team of Mali as the new head coach of the Super Eagles. This recommendation was on Tuesday, 7th January, endorsed by the NFF Executive Committee,” the NFF said in a statement yesterday.
Chelle’s appointment is with immediate effect with the task to ensure Nigeria qualification for the 2026 World Cup, which is definitely an almost impossible job, given that the Eagles currently sit fifth on the Group C qualifying table and must win all their remaining matches in the qualifiers to have any hope of participating in the tournament.
Chelle, who won five caps for the Aiglons of Mali and coached clubs such as GS Consolat, FC Martigues, Boulogne and MC Oran, has been Head Coach of the Aiglons since 2022.
At the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cote d’Ivoire, Chelle’s Mali came very close to a place in the semi-finals, losing to hosts and eventual winners Cote d’Ivoire 2-1 after extra time, after leading by a lone goal until the final minute of regulation time.
The 47-year-old featured for Martigues, Valenciennes, Lens, Istres and Chamois Niortais in France during his playing career.
