The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appointed former Mali coach Eric Chelle as the new head coach of its men's national football team.
Augustine Eguavoen had been in interim charge of the Super Eagles during their successful Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification campaign for 2025.
Chelle, who previously managed Mali’s national team, took over after spending just over two years with the Eagles, having been dismissed from his role as Mali's head coach in June 2024.
Under Chelle’s guidance, Mali reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 AFCON, where they were eliminated by eventual winners Ivory Coast after extra time. Nigeria, on the other hand, finished as runners-up under Jose Peseiro, who left his position shortly after his contract ended following the tournament.
The NFF issued a statement confirming Chelle’s appointment on January 7, 2024, saying its Executive Committe has endorsed the recommendation of its Technical and Development Sub-Committee after a meeting in Abuja on Thursday, January 7, 2024.
NFF appoints Éric Chelle as Head Coach of the Super Eagles pic.twitter.com/f3riZUo1f9
— The NFF ???????? (@thenff) January 7, 2025
Part of the statement said Chelle’s appointment is effective immediate and he has been given a short-term goal of qualifying the Super Eagles for the 2026 World Cup.
His appointment is with immediate effect, and he has the responsibility of guiding the Super Eagles to earn a ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, with the next round of matches (Matchdays 5 & 6) taking place in March.
World Cup qualification hurdle
Nigeria has had a challenging start in World Cup qualifying, with three draws from their first four matches in Group C. The Super Eagles are currently four points behind group leaders Rwanda.
They will travel to Kigali to face Rwanda before hosting Zimbabwe, who are bottom of the group, in March. Only the top team in each group will secure a place at the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The NFF has not disclosed the length of Chelle’s contract.
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