Former Nigeria Defender Names World Class Coach Who Deserves Super Eagles Job Over Eric Chelle

• Eric Chelle’s appointment as Super Eagles coach has sparked a wide debate on who is more deserving of the position
• The former Malian manager was confirmed as Nigeria’s next coach by the Nigeria Football Federation on Tuesday
• Chelle will arrive in the country along with three assistants on Sunday to finalise the deal with the NFF

Eric Chelle’s appointment as the Super Eagles coach has caused chaos in the Nigerian football fraternity as many supporters have kicked against his selection.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Tuesday, January 7, announced the 47-year-old tactician as the next manager of the Super Eagles after close to seven months without a coach.

According to the NFF, The football body's Executive Committee approved the Technical and Development Sub-Committee's suggestion to appoint Chelle as Head Coach of Nigeria's senior men's national football team, the Super Eagles.

Chelle's appointment is effective immediately, and he will be responsible for steering the Super Eagles to the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, with the next round of matches scheduled for March.

The former Mali manager will reportedly earn a whopping $50,000 monthly throughout the duration of his contract while two of his assistants will take home $5,000 monthly.

Udeze picks better manager for Super Eagles

Meanwhile, former Nigeria international Ifeanyi Udeze has slammed the NFF for its choice to appoint former Mali coach Chelle to lead the Super Eagles.

The former West Brom defender has questioned the pedigree of the 47-year-old manager who has failed to win a single trophy throughout his managerial career.

The ex-Super Eagles defender claims the NFF should have stuck with Augustine Eguavoen who he claims has a better resume than Chelle whom the football body decided to hire.

“A coach Mali sacked for a poor run in the World Cup qualifiers, does he deserve this job?” Complete Sports reports.

“The most annoying thing is that Augustine Eguavoen, who was our interim coach, has a better CV than this Eric Chelle. On what grounds was Chelle employed?

“He took the job to enhance his CV. He doesn’t care whether we qualify for the World Cup or not. That’s the only reason he accepted the job.”

Chelle's notable achievement was leading Mali to the quarterfinals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivor Coast last year.

Can Chelle save the Super Eagles?

Chelle has a big task on his hands when he resumes his role as coach of the Super Eagles following the confirmation of his appointment by the NFF.

The 47-year-old tactician has been given the mandate of turning Nigeria's fortunes around in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers after a poor start.

The Super Eagles are without a win in their first four matches. lying in fifth position in Group C with three points, four points behind leaders Rwanda, South Africa, and Benin.

Protests in Nigeria over Chelle's appointment

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that student unions have taken to the streets in some parts of Nigeria to protest the appointment of Chelle as the Super Eagles coach.

A handful of the students were spotted around MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, challenging the rationale behind Chelle's appointment by the NFF.