After months of searching, Nigerians were greeted Wednesday morning by the news that Eric Sekou Chelle had been hired by the Nigeria Football Federation as the new head coach of the Super Eagles. The announcement was made Tuesday. Chelle, who is a former coach of the Mali national team, is to lead the Super Eagles through the rest of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and, possibly, the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
This is about the coach’s biggest job in his fledgling career after a brief but eventful stint with his country’s national team which he led to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. The Eagles of Mali were eliminated in the quarter finals by the host team and eventual winners, the Elephants of Ivory Coast after a nail-biting 2-1 defeat. He was sacked afterwards by the country’s football federation, for reasons that remain unclear till date.
The coach had since put that behind and began a new life as coach of Algerian club, MC Oran, a club he joined in October last year. He was snapped by the Nigeria Football Federation which has searched for Jose Peseiro’s replacement. But Chelle’s appointment has been greeted with mixed reactions as most Nigerians are not impressed by the NFF’s choice. Most football fans have questioned the choice of the Malian coach and his pedigree. A helpless former Nigeria international, Victor Anichebe asked, “how did NFF arrive at Chelle?”
But former NFF president Amaju Pinnick has backed the football house in the face of the harsh criticisms that have followed the employment of Chelle and called for all to join hands in seeing that the country achieves its primary target of a 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket. “It’s going to be a tough call. I am not going to tell you it is going to be easy. It will be very, very tough,” Pinnick said on Arise News Thursday.
Speaking on the ability of the new coach to take Nigeria to the promised land, Pinnick said, “I believe he is coming very well prepared. He has the record. Let us not look at the colour of his skin but we should look at what he can bring to the table.”
A look at Chelle’s record as a coach is not as inspiring as Pinnick sounds. Between September 2016 and October 2017 he was head coach of GS Consolat. He guided the team through 30 matches, won 16, 6 draws and 8 losses. Cumulatively, that amounts to 53.33 per cent. In his second managerial position as coach of FC Martigues, Chelle’s record witnessed a slide as he led the team to 80 matches recording 35 wins, 24 draws and 21 losses which is 43.75 per cent. The coach moved to Boulogne in 2021 where he played 16 games. He won 2, drew 5 and lost 9.
It was after his stint with Boulogne that he was hired to manage the Eagles of Mali by his country’s FA, where he took them to the African Cup of Nations in 2024. Eric Chelle’s tenure with Mali offers a solid foundation for optimism. As head coach of the Mali national team, Chelle performed excellently. The Eagles played 22 times under him. They won 14 times, drew 5 with only three losses. The Super Eagles fell 2-0 to his wards in Morocco, just before the 2023 AFCON. He recorded 63. 64 per cent success with Mali.
One of the standout moments of Chelle’s time with Mali was their performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where they reached the quarterfinals. Although they fell to eventual champions Côte d’Ivoire, Mali’s brand of football drew praise for its fluidity and attacking intent.
Chelle’s selection comes after months of speculation and deliberation, with the NFF ultimately opting for a candidate with a blend of experience, affordability, and tactical acumen.
The 47-year-old is known for his preference for attacking football, often deploying a 4-3-3 or a 4-3-1-2 formation that emphasizes high pressing, quick transitions, and creative runs.
His teams are characterized by their flexibility, adapting shapes and strategies to exploit opponents’ weaknesses.
Such a philosophy could align well with Nigeria’s abundance of talents, including Victor Osimhen, Ola Aina, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman, and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.
With a squad packed with players from Europe’s top leagues, Chelle’s dynamic and modern approach may help unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s talented roster.
The Super Eagles have often been criticized for their inability to translate individual brilliance into cohesive team performances. Chelle’s system-driven style could be the key to bridging this gap.
Eric Chelle’s immediate task is to take the home-based Eagles to the 2024 African Nations Championship(CHAN) in East Africa. The CHAN Eagles, as they are called, are presently in camp under the supervision of coaches