The Nigeria Football Federation has dismissed reports suggesting that Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has agreed to join Olympique de Marseille, stating it is unaware of any such contract.
Speculation intensified on Monday following widespread online claims that the Franco-Malian tactician had signed a one-and-a-half-year deal with the Ligue 1 outfit. However, NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi firmly refuted the reports.
“As far as I know, there is nothing like that. We are not aware of any contract between Chelle and Olympique Marseille,” Sanusi told BSN Sports.
The clarification comes amid growing rumours about Chelle’s future, with the coach reportedly attracting interest from clubs abroad. Despite the speculation, NFF President Ibrahim Gusau recently reaffirmed his confidence that the coach will honour his existing agreement with Nigeria.
“He is still with Nigeria and has one more year on his contract with the Super Eagles,” Gusau said last week, stressing that Chelle remains committed to his role.
Chelle guided the Nigeria national football team to a third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and continues to oversee the team’s preparations amid ongoing discussions about its long-term direction.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
