President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, has dismissed rumors that Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle could leave Nigeria for other African teams, reinforcing the coach’s commitment to the national side.
Chelle, who led Nigeria to a third-place finish at AFCON 2025, received strong backing from players to continue in his role despite missing out on a fourth African Cup of Nations title.
Recent reports suggested that clubs from Tunisia, Guinea, Angola, and Chelle’s former employers, Mali, were interested in securing his services. Tunisian officials, in particular, reportedly offered a salary of around $100,000 per month to lure him away.
However, Gusau emphasized that Chelle’s contract with the Super Eagles remains valid for another year and that any external interest would need to wait.
“We still have a one-year contract with Eric, and whatever interest anyone shows in him will have to wait until his contract expires,” Gusau said.
“Even if they offer more money, do they have the necessary resources for him to succeed? Chelle enjoys working with Nigeria, and he believes he can achieve his dreams with the Super Eagles.”
Chelle, a Franco-Malian coach, has also expressed his desire to remain with Nigeria while pursuing ambitions that could one day see him become the first African coach at Real Madrid.
“This job is very important to me. I focus on my role, and as long as the NFF supports me, I am here,” Chelle stated during the AFCON.
Appointed in January 2025 on a two-year contract, Chelle began his tenure in March 2025, guiding Nigeria through the remainder of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Although the team failed to qualify, marking their second consecutive absence from the World Cup, Chelle has achieved solid results.
Under his management, the Super Eagles have played 18 official matches, winning 12 and drawing six. Some draws included tough penalty shoot-out defeats, such as losses to DR Congo in the World Cup play-offs and Morocco in the AFCON semi-finals.
Despite the challenges, the NFF and players remain confident in Chelle’s ability to lead Nigeria to success in upcoming competitions.
