Eric Chelle
A cross section of Nigerians have knocked the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for appointing 47-year-old Mr. Éric Sékou Chelle, from Mali, as the new Head Coach of the country’s senior men national football team, the Super Eagles.
Since the formal announcement by Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Communications, on Tuesday via a statement that the Federation’s Executive Committee endorsed the recommendation of its Technical and Development Sub-Committee for Chelle’s appointment, Nigerians took to social media to express what some termed ‘insult’ on the nation’s indigenous coaches.
“At its meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, the NFF Technical and Development Sub-Committee had recommended the appointment of the former Coach of the senior men national team of Mali as the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles. This recommendation was on Tuesday endorsed by the NFF Executive Committee,” he said.
Chelle, who won five caps for the Aiglons of Mali and coached clubs such as GS Consolat, FC Martigues, Boulogne and MC Oran, has been Head Coach of the Aiglons since 2022.
At the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Côte d’Ivoire in February 2024, Mali under Chelle came very close to the semi-finals. They lost 2-1 after extra time to hosts and eventual winners Côte d’Ivoire, who also beat Nigeria 2-1 in the final.
But his appointment seemed to have opened a fresh vent for Nigerians to express their rage at the NFF which some dismissed as a “scam house, house of horror, federation of corruption and confusion.”
Stanley Onyii Ben in Facebook post wrote: “For me, it is a shame that an African that is not Nigerian can be Super Eagles coach when we have a lots of legends in Nigeria; shame, shame, shame, NFF na thief.”
Eli Mivange wrote: “Imagine hiring a Malian to coach Nigeria,, that’s the highest insult ever gotten from NFF, until Nigeria is playing against Mali that’s when you will know the real Colos that the NFF smoke.”
Ibrahim Ayoade wrote: “This guy is no match to SIA 1 (Samson Siasia).
Abduljeleel Olayinka Akinola was indifferent: “Congratulations sir, I wish you best of luck,” he wrote in his Facebook comment.
