THE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appointed Eric Chelle as the new head coach of the Super Eagles.
Chelle takes over from Austin Eguavoen who has been in charge of the Super Eagles on a caretaker basis.
The last substantive head coach of the three-time African champions was Finidi George, who resigned in June following poor results.
Here are 10 interesting facts about Chelle, whose first challenge is reviving the Super Eagles’ flagging 2026 FIFA World Cup hopes…
Multiple nationalities:
Eric Chelle was born on November 11, 1977, in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire to a French father and a Malian mother.
Undistinguished playing career:
Chelle was a central defender who spent most of his career in the lower leagues in France featuring for clubs like Valenciennes, Lens, Istres, and Chamois Niortais.
Few international appearances:
He featured for the Eagles of Mali between 2004 and 2006, making just five appearances.
No major international tournaments as a player:
Chelle never featured for Mali at any major international tournament, with his appearances coming in qualifiers.
How coaching career started:
Chelle went into coaching after retiring from active football, and his first position was as an assistant for French club GS Consolat from 2014 to 2016.
Time as Mali national team coach:
He was appointed head coach of the Mali national team in May 2022 and led them to the quarter-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations held in Cote d’Ivoire in January and February 2024.
Underwhelmimg coaching record:
As a coach, Chelle has won 67 games, drawn 40, and lost 41 in his managerial career, with a win percentage of 45.27 percent.
Last job before Super Eagles appointment
Before his appointment as Super Eagles head coach, Chelle was in charge of Algerian club MC Oran.
Chelle leaves MC Oran in 10th position in the 16-team Algerian league table.
Multilingual:
Chelle speaks French, English, and several African languages.
Viral TV moment at AFCON 2023:
Chelle is remembered and has become an internet meme for his reaction after Mali lost to Cote d’Ivoire in the AFCON 2023 quarter-finals.
After Mali conceded a late goal in second half extra-time, Chelle was seen squatting on the sideline in distress with his assistant pouring water on his head.
