Nigeria have appointed Eric Chelle as their new men’s head coach.
The 47-year-old former Mali international replaces Augustine Eguaoven who had been in interim charge of the side after the departure of Finidi George in June.
Chelle is the third head coach Nigeria have appointed following Jose Peseiro’s exit in February 2024.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed the appointment in a statement.
NFF appoints Éric Chelle as Head Coach of the Super Eagles pic.twitter.com/f3riZUo1f9
— The NFF 🇳🇬 (@thenff) January 7, 2025
Chelle made over 300 appearances during his playing career and had spells at Valenciennes and Lens in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2.
After retiring in 2014, he had managerial roles in France’s lower leagues taking charge of FC Martigues, Athletico Marseille, and US Boulogne before being named Mali head coach in May 2022.
He led Mali to the quarter-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), losing to hosts and eventual winners the Ivory Coast after extra time.
Chelle had been managing Algerian first-division side MC Oran before being appointed Nigeria’s head coach.
Jose Peseiro led Nigeria to the 2023 AFCON final, where they were beaten by the Ivory Coast (Photo: Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images)
After leading Nigeria to the AFCON final in February 2024, where they were beaten 2-1 by the Ivory Coast, Peseiro stood down from his role as Nigeria’s head coach later that month.
He was replaced by George in April but the former Ajax, Ipswich Town, Real Mallorca and Real Betis player resigned in June following a public dispute with striker Victor Osimhen.
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Nigeria had announced 58-year-old Bruno Labbadia as their new head coach in August 2024 but the deal fell through following a tax dispute.
In a statement issued three days after announcing Labbadia as their new head coach, the NFF said: “Stringent regulations of German tax authorities have conspired to abort the agreement between the NFF and Labbadia. We have been on the tax issue for the past three days, and have told him clearly that there was no way the NFF will agree to offset the concomitant tax percentage on his salary that will be demanded by German tax authorities.
“It is not possible for us to shoulder the responsibility of shelling out another money, between 32% to 40% of his salary, after paying the agreed monthly wage.
“The NFF and Mr. Labbadia reached an agreement in principle before we made the announcement that he would become the Head Coach of the Super Eagles. The tax details were never part of our discussions, and he had personally agreed to all terms before the tax issue came up. We were doing our best to be flexible in the discussions but he was adamant that the NFF had to pay.”
Eguaven, 59, then took temporary charge of the side.
Nigeria are next in action in a World Cup qualifier against Rwanda on March 17. They are fifth in their group, four points off a qualification place with six games left to play.
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(Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty Images)
