NFF expands Chelle’s role with Super Eagles and Olympic Eagles duties
The Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, has confirmed that Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, will remain in charge of the senior national team after both parties agreed on a revised contract arrangement with improved terms. Dikko disclosed this on Tuesday after a meeting in Abuja between officials of the National Sports Commission and the Nigeria Football Federation, where discussions focused on the future of the country’s national football teams. Chelle’s current two year contract is expected to run until the end of 2026, but negotiations for an enhanced deal had been ongoing in recent months following Nigeria’s third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. According to earlier reports, the Franco-Malian coach had requested a revised package that includes a monthly salary of about $130,000, which would also cover his technical crew. Dikko said an agreement had now been reached, noting that the new contract includes improved remuneration and better support for the coach’s backroom staff. He added that the discussions also covered performance benchmarks and long-term planning aimed at strengthening the national teams.
Beyond his role with the Super Eagles, Chelle has also been assigned responsibility for the Nigeria U-23 team as part of preparations for the men’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Dikko explained that the decision was designed to improve continuity between the U-23 side and the senior team, allowing promising young players to transition more smoothly into the Super Eagles setup. He stressed that the expanded role was not intended to overload the coach but to support long-term team development and talent integration. Nigeria’s U-23 team, like the senior side in previous cycles, has struggled in recent years, missing out on the last two Olympic Games after failing to qualify for Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
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