Nigeria Appoints Éric Chelle as New Head Coach to Revive World Cup Hopes

The former Mali coach is tasked with reversing Nigeria's poor qualifying campaign and securing a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Éric Chelle, a 47-year-old former Mali coach, has been named head coach of Nigeria's national football team, the Super Eagles.
Chelle becomes the first non-Nigerian African to lead the Super Eagles, following a series of coaching changes within the past year.
Nigeria has struggled in its World Cup qualifying campaign, earning only three points from four matches and trailing Rwanda, South Africa, and Benin in Group C.
Chelle previously led Mali to the quarter-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations but was dismissed in 2024 following disappointing World Cup qualifying results.
Nigeria's next qualifying matches are scheduled for March, where they will face Rwanda and Zimbabwe in a bid to revive their chances of reaching the 2026 World Cup.