Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle has reaffirmed his hands-on approach to player management, revealing that he regularly travels to watch Nigerian internationals in action and informs them in advance to demonstrate his support and commitment.

The Malian tactician disclosed that maintaining a close relationship with his players is a key part of his coaching philosophy, citing visits to watch Super Eagles stars Ademola Lookman and Tochukwu Nnadi as examples.

Speaking in an interview with Algerian influencer Just Riadh, Chelle explained that he makes a conscious effort to attend matches involving Nigerian players whenever possible.

“Generally, I tell them. I tell them I am coming to watch the match,” Chelle said.

The Super Eagles boss revealed that one of his recent visits was to Marseille’s Orange Vélodrome, where he attended the club’s Coupe de France clash against Rennes shortly after Nnadi completed his transfer from Belgian side Zulte Waregem.

Although the young midfielder was not included in the matchday squad because the fixture came too soon after his deadline-day move, Chelle said it was important for him to be present as the Nigerian began a new chapter in his career.

“The last one I went to see was Tochukwu Nnadi when he signed for Marseille. I wanted to be there because I don’t live far away. He came from Belgium and was arriving at a club like that, so for his first match, I wanted to be there,” he explained.

While attending the fixture, Chelle also used the opportunity to monitor highly-rated Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri, who remains eligible to represent Nigeria at senior international level.

The 47-year-old further disclosed that reigning African Footballer of the Year Ademola Lookman was informed before the Super Eagles coach travelled to France to watch Atalanta’s UEFA Champions League meeting with Marseille in November 2025.

“Lookman came for the Champions League match against Marseille with Atalanta, aware that I was coming to watch the match, though Eddie went to see him at the hotel,” Chelle added.

During that encounter, Chelle observed Lookman in action for 75 minutes before the Nigerian forward was substituted for Yunus Musah in Atalanta’s 1-0 victory over the French side.

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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