The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced on Tuesday that Malian coach Éric Chelle will take charge of the Nigeria national team. The Super Eagles were previously led by Nigeria Football Federation technical director Augustine Eguavoen on an interim basis.
The 47-year-old is charged with leading the recovery of the Nigeria team in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying where the Super Eagles are behind the pace in Group C. Nigeria have only three points from four matches, four points behind Rwanda and South Africa who each have seven points. After ten total matches the group winner will qualify for the finals that will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
For Chelle, his career continues in Africa after previously gaining his first coaching experience in France with lower league clubs following a 16-year playing career spent in the country with the likes of Valenciennes and Lens. The former defender led Mali to the quarterfinals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations before a heartbreaking 1-2 extra time defeat to hosts Ivory Coast, who went on to win the competition.
Chelle was dismissed from his post as Mali coach in June following a 0-0 draw against Madagascar in the ongoing World Cup qualification cycle. He compiled a record of 13 wins, 5 draws and 5 defeats over two years in charge of Les Aigles and leaves his most recent position as coach of Algeria Ligue 1 club MC Oran.
Nigeria's next World Cup qualification matches will be in March with a tough test in Kigali against Rwanda before hosting Zimbabwe. The pressure will be immediate for Chelle where nothing less than qualification will be acceptable.
Nigeria can qualify either as the winner of the group or as one of four best second placed teams for the CAF regional playoff where the winner will enter the inter-confederation playoffs.
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