The Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has ratified the recommendation of its Technical and Development Sub-Committee for the appointment of Eric Sekou Chelle as the Head Coach of the Super Eagles, Nigeria’s senior men national football team.
This is contained in a statement by the Director of Communications of the NFF, Ademola Olajire.
According to the statement, the NFF Technical and Development Sub-committee had, in its meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, January 2, 2025, recommended the appointment of the former Coach of the senior men national team of Mali, as the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles.
This recommendation by the NFF Technical and Development Sub-committee was affirmed by the NFF Executive Committee on Tuesday, January 7, 2025.
The 47-year-old Eric Chelle, who was born in Ivory Coast to a French father and a Malian mother, was the Head Coach of the Malian senior men national football team, the Aiglons between May, 2022 and June, 2024.
Chelle had previously coached clubs such as GS Consolat, FC Martigues, Boulogne and MC Oran, before becoming Head coach of the Aiglons in May, 2022.
At the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, under the tutelage of Chelle lost at the quarter-final stage. Mali came very close to nicking one of the semi-finals tickets but lost to the hosts and eventual winners, Cote d’Ivoire after extra time, when the team could not hold on to its lone goal lead. Cote d' Ivoire equalized in the final minute of regulation time before going on to win the game 2-1.
Chelle featured for Martigues, Valenciennes, Lens, Istres and Chamois Niortais in France during his playing days. He also featured for the Aiglons where he won five caps.
He was sacked by the Malian football authorities days after the Aiglons were held to a scoreless draw by 10-man Madagascar in a Group 1 World Cup qualifier held in Johannesburg.
The new Head coach of the Super Eagles, whose appointment is with immediate effect, has been charged to guide the Super Eagles to earn a ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, to be jointly hosted by Canada, USA and Mexico. The next round of matches (Match days 5 and 6) will be taking place in March, 2025. It will be the first time that three countries are jointly hosting a World Cup.
Eric Chelle is making history as the first non-Nigerian African to coach the Super Eagles. His biggest credential that perhaps gave him the Super Eagles job was his victory over the Super Eagles last year, the first by Mali in 50 years of contest between the two sides. Chelle's Aiglons defeated Finidi George's Super Eagles 2-0 in a friendly encounter in March last year.
