By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen has revealed that the new coach, Eric Chelle, will be expecting nothing less than total commitment and dedication from every player, warning that those who fail to meet the coach’s high standards will not feature in games.
Osimhen explained that Chelle, a coach who has a strong passion for playing and a fierce competitive spirit, is focused on achieving success with the team.
“We spoke, he called me along with his assistant,” Osimhen shared on the Obi One Podcast.
“From his time with Mali in the last AFCON, he’s a coach who loves to play and really loves to fight.”
Osimhen also shared Chelle’s no-nonsense message for the team: “He’s going to be very, very demanding.”
The striker warned his teammates, stating, “Anyone who doesn’t fight for every ball, or doesn’t run for every ball, will not play.”
Chelle, according to Osimhen, has made it clear that while he can be like a father, uncle, or big brother off the pitch, when it comes to football, “This is business.”
The Super Eagles are gearing up for crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe later this month, and Osimhen believes Chelle’s approach will motivate the team to give their best on the road to qualification.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
