There is a new a “Sheriff” in town within the Nigerian football community and his arrival has divided opinions online and offline among fans, the media and football enthusiasts.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Tuesday 7 January announced the appointment of Eric Chelle as the new coach of the Super Eagles.
Eric Chelle, the former Malian coach takes over from interim boss, Austin Eguavoen as the head coach of the three-time African champions.
The 47-year-old is saddled with the responsibility of qualifying the Super Eagles for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States according to NFF’s statement on Tuesday.
Chelle is a young and enterprising coach on the continent, but he faces his biggest task yet – managing one of the biggest football nations on the continent – the Super Eagles of Nigeria who find themselves in a difficult spot after a poor start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification series.
This post shares five vital information fans should know about Eric Chelle.
1. He’s of French Descent
Eric Chelle was born to a French father and Malian mother in Cote D’Ivoire in 1977 which means he holds dual nationality. Chelle spent his formative years in France where he developed to became a professional footballer.
2. Played only in France
Eric played professional football as a player and featured for a couple of French clubs. He joined Matrigues in 1998 and played until 2003 before joining Valenciennes where he stayed till 2008.
He joined Lens that same year and played until 2011. Eric Chelle went on to join Istres until 2013. his last club engagement as a player was at Charmois Niortais where he spent a year before retiring in 2014.
Eric Chelle played as a center-back during his career as a player. He featured for the Eagles of Mali five times during his active days.
3. Experience
Eric Chelle is a quite experienced coach maybe not necessarily on the continent having engaged just two teams: Mali and MC Oran. However, the 47-year-old horned his skills in France.
He started his managerial career as an assistant coach with GS Consolat now known as Atletico Marseille in 2014 and served until 2016 before taking the job as manager that year.
He coached his former team Matrigues and Boulogne before his appointment as the head coach of Mali in 2022.
Eric Chelle left his role as manager of the Eagles in June 2024 and took up the role as the head coach of MC Oran a few weeks later.
4. UEFA Pro License
Eric Chelle holds a UEFA Pro License certification – the highest coaching badge in Europe.
This is a testimony to his knowledge about the game and its application. Eric Chelle favours a 4-3-1-2, 4,-2-3-1 and a 4-3-3 formation based on his engagement with Mali at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
He requires his full-backs to be quick on the ball and invert into half space to create overloads in the opposition area.
Chelle also loves a solid midfield based with two flexible midfielders in the base who are in good in tackling as well as in progressing the ball.
The 47-year-old manager prefers tall strikers who possess aerial threats and the ability to bring other players into play.
5. High win rate
Eric Chelle boasts of a high win rate based on his previous engagement with Mali.
He managed the Eagles in 21 matches, won 13, lost 3 and recorded 5 draws. This means he had a 62%-win rate with Mali during his two-year stay with the Francophone nation.
Given the quality of players at his disposal as manager of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle is expected to at least match the record or better still improve on it as his reign begins immediately as the first African to coach the team.
