Despite Job Uncertainty, Chelle Plans Beyond AFCON 2025

Super Eagles Coach, Eric Chelle has outlined his plans for the national team if the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) decides to retain him after the conclusion of the AFCON tournament in Morocco.

The former Malian tactician, who was appointed in January 2025, was tasked with guiding Nigeria to World Cup qualification and leading the team to the Africa Cup of Nations final.

Although the team showed improvement in performance and results under his guidance, Chelle missed both objectives, raising questions about his future with the Super Eagles after AFCON.

During yesterday’s pre-match press conference, he emphasized his vision of building a competitive squad capable of challenging at major tournaments. He also expressed his intention to bring in new players to complement the current roster and foster healthy competition within the team. “I know the player but we have to continue to improve,” he said.

“If God give me the chance to be the coach after this tournament, I have to bring some players.” “My dream is to have 22 players and all of them can be the one at the opposition. There is a lot of work to achieve that.” While outlining his future plans, the 48-year-old stressed that the immediate focus remains today’s clash against Egypt “I just want to think about the game against Egypt and after that I will have a lot of time to think about the future, maybe the next team. Now the most important thing is the game and the players,” he added. Chelle is expected to hold discussions with the NFF after the tournament to determine whether he will continue as Super Eagles head coach.