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Wilfred Ndidi Praises Chelle’s Demanding Standards, Calls for Continuity After AFCON 2025
Nigeria captain Wilfred Ndidi has spoken glowingly about head coach Eric Chelle, describing the Malian tactician as the most demanding manager he has worked with and stressing the need for continuity as Nigeria looks beyond the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Reflecting on the team’s AFCON campaign and the way forward, Ndidi highlighted Chelle’s high standards, noting that the coach’s influence goes far beyond matchday tactics.
“Our coach is extremely demanding, honestly, I’ve never worked with a coach like this before,” Ndidi said. “His standards don’t stop on the pitch; they extend to everything off it as well, even to how we eat and conduct ourselves as professionals.”
According to the Super Eagles skipper, Chelle combines strict discipline with strong man-management, striking a balance that has helped foster unity within the squad.
“He’s a very good person and has a strong connection with the players,” Ndidi explained. “But once it’s time to work, there’s no room for jokes or excuses.”
Ndidi believes those qualities are already laying a solid foundation for the future and has urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to maintain stability on the bench.
“For me, the most important thing now is continuity,” he added. “I really hope we keep the coach because we need to stay focused and keep building from what we’ve started.”
The three time African champions will face Egypt in the third place match on Saturday.
Nigeria’s performances at AFCON have drawn praise despite falling short of the title, and Ndidi’s comments echo growing calls from fans and stakeholders for the NFF to retain Chelle and allow him time to further develop the team ahead of upcoming qualifiers and international competitions.
