The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Tuesday announced the appointment of Malian coach Éric Chelle as the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles, www.aclsports.com reports.
Barely an hour after NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau assured Nigerians in his new year message that they will announce a new coach “very soon”, the Federation Spokesperson Dr. Ademola Olajire confirmed the appointment of Chelle in a press release to newsmen.
“The Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation has endorsed the recommendation of its Technical and Development Sub-Committee for the appointment of Mr. Éric Sékou Chelle as Head Coach of Nigeria’s senior men national football team, Super Eagles,” Dr. Olajire wrote in the opening of the press statement.
It was said that Chelle’s appointment came on the heels of recommendation by the NFF Technical Committee but ACLSports sources inform authoritatively that it was nothing of such, adding that the Committee meeting was a mere formality.
Chelle was made famous by his reaction to Mali’s loss to Côte d’Ivoire in the quarter finals of the last Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) when he required a bottle filled with chilled water to cool his over-saturated head.
He left the Malian role after the team fell four points adrift of group leaders (Comoros and Ghana) in the World Cup qualifying race before Belgian Tom Saintfiet took over to steer the Aiglons to AFCON qualification unbeaten.
Chelle will now take over the Nigerian side which is in the same identical position that Chelle’s country Mali are in the World Cup qualifying race. Just like the Malians, Nigeria are also four points adrift of Rwanda and South Africa in Group C.
The 47-year-old’s 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.
Addirionally, if Gusau’s words on Tuesday are anything to go by, Chelle will also lead Nigeria’s home based Super Eagles to next month’s African Nations Champions (CHAN) to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
