Former Mali coach, Eric Sekou Chelle has emerged in the last couple of days as a front runner to be the next coach of the Super Eagles.
This has caused him to be added to the three other foreign coaches shortlisted for consideration by the NFF executive committee for the Super Eagles top post.
Like Herve Renard, the France-born coach has been linked to the vacant coaching position of the United States of America, one of the co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup.
He is also on the shopping list of French club FC Metz, while Mali is reconsidering getting him back as coach following a serious revolt by the players, who have insisted he be recalled or they won’t feature for Eagles of Mali.
The 46-year-old Chelle was in his playing days captain of RC Lens at the height of the prowess in the French Ligue 1.
Sources close to the coach told SCORENigeria he will not return as Mali coach despite the pressure mounted on him particularly by the players to do so.
“He is very interested in the job, he knows our players, he has all his plans mapped and he knows what he will do to get them flying again,” another credible source revealed.