The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has yet to hold any discussions on either extending or terminating the contract of Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle following Nigeria’s third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Nigeria ended the AFCON campaign unbeaten in seven matches, losing only to hosts Morocco on penalties in the semi-final. The Super Eagles also scored 14 goals at the tournament the highest tally in the country’s history at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Chelle was appointed in January 2025 on a two-year contract, becoming Nigeria’s fourth head coach within a 10-month period. His appointment initially drew scepticism, especially with the Super Eagles’ 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign already in jeopardy at the time.
One year on, however, the Franco-Malian tactician has earned widespread support following what has been widely viewed as an impressive, though not ultimately triumphant, AFCON campaign in Morocco.
His most difficult task came during the World Cup qualifiers, where Nigeria failed to secure an intercontinental play-off spot despite winning four of six matches and reaching the African play-offs. Although the campaign had been compromised under previous coaches, Chelle was in charge for the decisive defeat to DR Congo in November 2025 a result that, alongside the AFCON semi-final loss, has left some sections of the fan base unconvinced.
Despite those setbacks, Chelle continues to enjoy strong backing from both the NFF and his players. He has also attracted interest from other African nations, including Tunisia, Guinea, Angola and his former employers, Mali.
“The team is close to running on autopilot and will definitely achieve a lot of success under the present technical crew,” NFF president Ibrahim Gusau said after the AFCON.
“The NFF is proud of the team’s performance and will continue to do its best to encourage, support and motivate the team as we go forward. As the head of a hard-working technical crew, Mr Chelle has done exceedingly well within the one year he has been with us.”
Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi also publicly backed the coach, emphasising the need for stability.
“For continuity, I feel they should keep the coach because he is a wonderful manager,” Ndidi said before Nigeria’s third-place match. “The only thing we need in this team is continuity. We should not change things now because we did not make it to the final.”
In his first year in charge, Chelle has overseen 15 competitive matches, winning 10 and drawing five. A senior NFF source confirmed that no talks have been initiated regarding his future, noting that the coach is still in the second year of his contract.
Whether Chelle will be offered a renewal remains uncertain. In 2026, the Super Eagles will compete in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers and other international fixtures, but will miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico a tournament that might otherwise have served as a more definitive benchmark for assessing his tenure.
