Why Eric Chelle cannot leave Nigeria now

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has moved to shut down growing speculation around the future of Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle, insisting the Franco-Malian tactician remains firmly committed to the national team and is not leaving anytime soon.

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Speaking amid reports of interest from other national teams, NFF President Ibrahim Gusau made it clear that Chelle is still under contract and central to Nigeria’s football plans.

Chelle, after leading the Super Eagles to a third-place finish at the last AFCON tournament in Morocco, is reported to be attracting interest from countries like Tunisia and Angola

“We still have a one-year contract with Eric, and therefore whatever interest anybody will show on him, he has to wait until his contract expires,” Mr Gusau said in an interview shared by the Super Eagles’ media team.

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Beyond the contractual reality, the NFF president stressed that the federation is keen to protect the progress already made under Chelle’s leadership.

“And basically, you know, we don’t want to bring some distraction on him, because we quite well understand that he enjoys working with Nigeria.”

Mr Gusau dismissed the idea that Chelle’s future should be shaped by financial temptation or short-term success elsewhere.

“Because it’s not about a team is interested in you, and it’s not about because he has gotten the results with the Super Eagles. So if you go to the other team, despite the fact that they are going to give him more money, he’s going to get the results. That’s not the issue.”

According to him, the real issue for any serious coach is having the right environment to succeed.

“The issue is that do they have the materials for him to work with, to achieve what he wants to achieve. The dream of every single coach is to make sure that he achieves success, especially on higher tournaments.”

He added that career fulfilment, not money, should guide such decisions.

“So when you are saying that I want the coach, we are going to look for the coach to come and we are going to pay him a certain amount of money, it’s not the issue of the money, but will he achieve what he wants to achieve in his career? Or is he just going there for the money?”

Mr Gusau said Chelle believes strongly in the Super Eagles project.

“So, but the key thing is that I know Coach Eric believes in Super Eagles, and he believes that he can achieve whatever he wants to achieve in his career, when it comes to coaching, preparation, especially with the national team within the African continent.”

He revealed that the federation has had several discussions with the coach about his future.

“So he has so much belief in the Super Eagles, and he has every confidence that he can achieve all his dreams with the Super Eagles. So that’s the key thing that I believe in, and I know we discussed it several times with Tim. And to all of you.”

For the NFF, continuity is key.

“Because, as I’ve said, we believe in him, and when the time comes, we’ll definitely make Nigeria smooth on the way forward. But Eric is part of the Super Eagles, and he will continue to be part of the Super Eagles.”

Mr Gusau pointed to clear signs of progress under Chelle, especially at the recently concluded AFCON in Morocco.

“The transformation we saw in the Super Eagles at the just concluded AFCON basically has to do with the leadership of the team, which has to do with the coach.”

He highlighted tactical improvements and attacking intensity.

“Because if you look at the team generally, especially going to the Nations Cup, when you holistically review what happened at the Nations Cup, you see that there are a lot of changes when it comes to the issue of tactical play of the team. And now we are feeling as we are now seeing a Nigerian team, especially when it comes to the fact of the intensity in the area of attack.”

Despite missing out on the title, Nigeria’s numbers stood out.

“You see, after the conclusion of AFCON, despite the fact that we did not win the trophy…, we happen to be the highest goal-scoring team”

The NFF President also noted the Eagles did not lose any match on regulation or extra time except the semis, which was decided via penalty kicks.

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For Mr Gusau, those figures reflect real improvement, backed by institutional support.

“So, you see, that shows that there is a serious improvement in the team. And, as I have said, we must commend the government through their support through the National Sports Commission.”

Looking ahead, the NFF expects even more growth, especially with young players.

“And we are assured in Nigeria that going forward, this is just the beginning. And the most important thing is the discovery of some new young talent.”

He explained that plans to test new players were delayed due to competitive fixtures.

“Unfortunately, we have to go for the playoff… but going forward, we have the March window, and I think we’re still going to give him an opportunity to see how he can bring on some new young players.”

For now, the message is clear: Eric Chelle is staying, and Nigeria is building around him.