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The National Sports Commission (NSC) has revealed that Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has accepted to a new contract, bringing an end to months of speculation over his future with the squad.
NSC chairman Shehu Dikko announced this on Tuesday during a meeting in Abuja with NFF president Ibrahim Gusau and other federation officials. Chelle’s original two-year contract was due to expire at the end of 2026, and negotiations over an extension dragged on for quite some time.
Under the new terms, the Franco-Malian coach will receive improved pay, and in a significant change from the previous arrangement; the NFF will now cover the salaries of his backroom staff, who were reportedly being paid out of Chelle’s own pocket.
“I can confirm to you that we have reached a new term with the coach. We are going to increase his money and also take care of his assistants who are helping him. And there are other benchmarks that we have put on the table, and I’m sure the coach will be very excited about it,” Dikko said.
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Beyond the senior team, Chelle has also been handed responsibility for the men’s U-23 side, with an eye on the future.
“We have also discussed how we can build for the future. In that aspect, we also agree with the coach and the NFF that the coach should take care of the U-23 national team,” Dikko added.
The length of the new deal and the financial figures were not disclosed.
Chelle took over as coach of the Super Eagles in 2025, and the team won bronze at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco that year. His increased responsibility will now include qualifying the U-23 team for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, a competition Nigeria has not competed in since Rio 2016.
