The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has yet to hold discussions on the future of Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, regarding either a contract extension or termination following Nigeria’s third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Nigeria finished third at the tournament in Morocco, going unbeaten in seven matches and losing only the semi-final to hosts Morocco on penalties. The Super Eagles also scored 14 goals, the highest tally in Nigeria’s AFCON history.
Chelle was appointed head coach in January 2025 on a two-year contract, inheriting a team that had gone through three different coaches within a 10-month period, a situation that initially cast doubt on his chances of success, particularly with Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign already in trouble.
One year into his tenure, however, the Franco-Malian coach is enjoying widespread support to continue in the role, following what has been widely viewed as an impressive—though not flawless—AFCON campaign.
Perhaps the most demanding task during Chelle’s tenure was the World Cup qualifying series, which ended in disappointment as Nigeria failed to secure a place in the intercontinental play-offs, despite winning four of six matches and advancing to the African play-offs. The decisive defeat to DR Congo in November 2025, which occurred under Chelle’s watch, ultimately sealed Nigeria’s fate.
While that setback, alongside the AFCON semi-final loss, has left some fans unconvinced, Chelle continues to enjoy the backing of the NFF hierarchy and the players, even as he attracts interest from other African nations, including Tunisia, Guinea, Angola, and his former employers, Mali.
NFF President Ibrahim Gusau praised the coach and technical crew following the AFCON.
“The team is close to running on autopilot and will definitely achieve a lot of success under the present technical crew,” Gusau said via the federation’s media channel.
“As the head of a hard-working technical crew, Mr Chelle has done exceedingly well within the one year he has been with us. He has shown enormous capacity, and we will continue to work with him.”
Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi also endorsed the coach, stressing the importance of stability.
“For continuity, I feel they should keep the coach because he is a wonderful manager. The only thing we need in this team is continuity,” Ndidi said before Nigeria’s third-place match.
“We should not change things now because we did not make it to the final.”
In his first year in charge, Chelle has overseen 15 competitive matches, recording 10 wins and five draws.
A final decision on a possible renewal is expected later in the year. In 2026, the Super Eagles will focus on the 2027 AFCON qualifiers and other international fixtures, having missed out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
