By Wale Mustapha
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has officially unveiled Malian coach Eric Sekou Chelle as the new substantive Head Coach of the Super Eagles.
The announcement took place on Monday at a media conference at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja.
Chelle, 47, was confirmed for the role by the NFF last Tuesday, marking him as the 42nd head coach in the history of the Super Eagles.
His appointment comes at a crucial time, with the Super Eagles struggling in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.
The West African giants has yet to secure a win in the qualifiers and currently sits in fifth place in Group C, with only three points from four matches.
The new head coach will also oversee the home-based Super Eagles’ participation in the upcoming 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), where the team will aim to build momentum and deliver strong performances.
While Chelle’s appointment has sparked some resistance and criticism among Nigerian football fans and pundits, the NFF is hopeful that his experience and leadership will help steer the Super Eagles back on course for World Cup 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.
