Eric Chelle has begun his stint as the head coach of the Super Eagles, marking a fresh start for Nigeria’s flagship football brand.
The Franco-Malian was unveiled Monday during a ceremony at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja, ending months of speculations about the formerly vacant substantive coaching position for the Super Eagles.
Although the team reached the final of the last Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire and a few months ago booked a place in this year’s edition of the championship, millions of fans believe the Super Eagles have underperformed in recent years.
Expectedly, Chelle’s appointment was greeted with a mix of optimism and skepticism as many questioned his credentials to coach one of Africa’s top football teams.
Before his most recent job, the coach who was born in Cote d’Ivoire, previously had stints with the Malian national team and was at the helm in some clubs in Africa and Europe.
But with the 2026 World Cup qualifiers looming large, the 47-year-old has a narrow window to imprint his tactics on the team, rekindle their competitive spark, and ultimately revive their dreams of reaching the global football fiesta billed for next year in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
After missing the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the Super Eagles are at the risk of not hoisting the country’s flag in the next edition. In four games, the three-time African champions have managed just three points out of a possible 12, placing them four points below leaders Rwanda in the Group C qualification.
The NFF has tasked Chelle with turning around Nigeria’s fortunes in the race to the competition. With no international window to prepare for the next round of qualification in March, the Malian has a mountain to climb to restore the Super Eagles’ hopes of reaching the global football fiesta in 2026.
2. Nigeria’s Struggles Without Osimhen
To make that qualification a dream, Chelle has his work cut out on finding more goal scorers for the Super Eagles aside from Victor Osimhen. In his absence, Nigeria have struggled to break down defences despite an array of attacking talents in the team.
In nine matches since the end of the AFCON – March 2024 till date – the Super Eagles have only managed to score more than two goals in two games (against Ghana in a friendly). Osimhen only played in the 3-0 victory at home against Benin Republic in a 2025 AFCON qualifier. Previous coaches have tried different attacking options, but the lack of goals was visible, a challenge the new coach would be concerned about and must work to fix going forward.
3. CHAN: Chelle’s Baptism of Fire
But before the World Cup qualifiers return in March, the new Super Eagles Coach will have his first taste of action with Team B of the senior national squad which will play at the 2025 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN).
Despite boasting of talented players across the world, Nigeria is yet to win the competition which started in 2009.
CHAN may well be the low-hanging fruit for Chelle to lead a team to glory.
Will Super Eagles Soar Under Chelle?
As the new coach navigates the job, expectations are high from fans in the football-mad country. They will be watching on the sidelines with bated breath but only time will tell if Chelle can get the Super Eagles soaring again!
