By Olivia Ekpe
NFF President Ibrahim Gusau appeals to Nigerians to rally behind the newly appointed Head Coach of the Super Eagles, Éric Sékou Chelle, and provide him with the support needed to succeed. Gusau assured that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) would also extend all necessary assistance to help Chelle excel in his new role.
“We appreciate the passion Nigerians have for football, which has led to varied reactions following Coach Chelle’s appointment. However, we appeal to everyone to support him, as we believe he has the qualities to achieve success with the Super Eagles,” Gusau stated.
The NFF will formally unveil the 47-year-old Franco-Malian on Monday at the Media Conference Room of the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja. The event is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
Chelle’s appointment, confirmed last Tuesday by the NFF Executive Committee, follows recommendations by the Technical and Development Committee. Gusau highlighted Chelle’s fresh energy, innovative thinking, and positive attitude, which the NFF hopes will help the Super Eagles succeed in their six remaining matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
At the unveiling, the NFF will also reveal the names of Chelle’s assistants, who will support him as he leads the Super Eagles B team at next month’s African Nations Championship in East Africa. The focus will then shift to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, starting with matches against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in March.
Chelle, who previously led Mali’s Aiglons to the brink of the 2023 AFCON semi-finals, recently left his role at Algerian club MC Oran to join the Super Eagles.
