Chelle has realistic chance of claiming upcoming AFCON title, warrants extension of current deal, says Ibitoye

Veteran sports journalist Toyin Ibitoye has come out in support of renewing the contract of Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle, citing the coach's ability to build a disciplined and competitive team capable of contending for Africa Cup of Nations titles.

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Ibitoye pointed out that although Nigeria did not emerge victorious in the last AFCON, the team's style and organisation garnered widespread admiration, with Ibitoye noting that "Nigeria did not win the tournament, but the football that Nigeria played won the hearts of many people".

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The journalist emphasized that the team's performance, rather than the outcome, is what matters, saying "What you want to see is how well they played, their discipline on and off the pitch, because sometimes the element of luck decides who eventually wins a tournament".

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Ibitoye, who served as the Super Eagles' media officer from 2015 to 2020, believes that Coach Eric Chelle has done enough to warrant contract renewal discussions based on the team's recent performance.

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Frequent coaching changes have hindered Nigeria's progress, particularly in World Cup qualification, according to Ibitoye, who stressed that maintaining Chelle would allow the team to consolidate progress and achieve better results.

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Ibitoye highlighted the negative impact of coaching changes, saying "We had about three different coaches handling the Super Eagles during the World Cup qualifiers, and, of course, the results were not good".

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He argued that consistency could have yielded better results, stating "If we had been consistent and maintained the kind of results we have seen since Eric Chelle came on board, I am sure the World Cup ticket would have been secured a long time ago".

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Looking ahead to the next two AFCON tournaments between 2026 and 2028, Ibitoye expressed optimism that Chelle could guide Nigeria to victory with proper preparation and luck.

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Ibitoye said "I believe that if Eric Chelle continues the kind of work we saw in the last AFCON, there is a strong possibility, with luck on our side, good preparation, and everything working together in our favour, that Nigeria can win one or even two of the upcoming tournaments".

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Coach Chelle has reportedly requested a monthly salary increase from $50,000 to $130,000 to improve working conditions and support his technical staff.

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Despite speculation, Chelle has denied threatening to leave the national team and reaffirmed his commitment to leading Nigeria in upcoming international friendlies against Iran and Jordan.