Chelle to continue as Super Eagles coach, agrees new deal

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Chelle

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The National Sports Commission (NSC) has confirmed that a new contract has been agreed with Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle, ending months of uncertainty over his future with the team.

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NSC chairman Shehu Dikko disclosed this on Tuesday at a meeting in Abuja alongside NFF president Ibrahim Gusau and other federation officials. Chelle’s original two-year contract was due to expire at the end of 2026, with negotiations over an extension dragging on for some time.

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Under the new terms, the Franco-Malian coach will receive improved pay, and in a significant change from the previous arrangement; the NFF will now cover the salaries of his backroom staff, who were reportedly being paid out of Chelle’s own pocket.

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“I can confirm to you that we have reached a new term with the coach. We are going to increase his money and also take care of his assistants who are helping him. And there are other benchmarks that we have put on the table, and I’m sure the coach will be very excited about it,” Dikko said.

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Beyond the senior team, Chelle has also been handed responsibility for the men’s U-23 side, with an eye on the future.

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“We have also discussed how we can build for the future. In that aspect, we also agree with the coach and the NFF that the coach should take care of the U-23 national team,” Dikko added.

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The length of the new deal and the financial figures were not disclosed.

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Chelle took charge of the Super Eagles in 2025 and guided the side to a bronze medal at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco the same year. His expanded brief will now include qualifying the U-23 team for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics: a competition Nigeria has not featured in since Rio 2016.

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