The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced on Tuesday that Éric Sékou Chelle has been appointed as the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles, Nigeria’s senior men’s national football team.
The Super Eagles, who have been without a permanent head coach since José Peseiro’s departure following a successful tenure that saw them reach the Africa Cup of Nations final, are now seeking stability.
Despite his contributions, Peseiro chose to leave after the team’s failure to secure the trophy, triggering a series of temporary appointments that ultimately fell short of expectations.
Among the interim coaches, Findi George’s brief tenure ended in resignation after a string of underwhelming performances.
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Technical Director Augustine Eguavoen was subsequently appointed as the Super Eagles’ interim coach after the collapse of the deal with Bruno Labbadia. However, the results under Eguavoen have also failed to meet the desired standard.
Ademola Olajire, the NFF’s Director of Communications, confirmed the appointment of Chelle in a statement, stating that the Federation’s Executive Committee had approved the recommendation from the NFF Technical and Development Sub-Committee.
“The NFF Technical and Development Sub-Committee, at its meeting in Abuja last Thursday, recommended the appointment of Éric Sékou Chelle, former coach of Mali’s senior men’s national team, as the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles,” Olajire said.
This recommendation was subsequently endorsed by the NFF Executive Committee on Tuesday.
Chelle, a former player who earned five caps for the Mali national team, has managed various clubs, including GS Consolat, FC Martigues, Boulogne, and MC Oran. He has been the head coach of Mali since 2022.
At the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire, Mali narrowly missed out on the semi-finals, losing 2-1 after extra time to the hosts, who went on to win the tournament. Mali had led 1-0 until the dying moments of regular time, before eventually being edged out by Côte d’Ivoire.
The 47-year-old Chelle, who played for Martigues, Valenciennes, Lens, Istres, and Chamois Niortais in France during his playing career, will now take charge of the Super Eagles, with immediate effect.
Chelle’s main task will be to guide Nigeria to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The next set of qualification matches, Match Days 5 and 6, are scheduled for March, with Nigeria needing victories to regain contention for a qualification spot.
