One poser that has been a tough nut to crack for many sports-loving Nigerian football fans remains how to discover the true identity of the Malian tactician – Eric Sekou Chelle – towards evaluating his innate managerial capabilities. Born in Ivory Coast (now Republic of Cote d’Ivoire) 11th November 1977 to a French father and a Malian mother, the professional football manager spent his career in France.
Armed with a French nationality, Chelle appeared for Clubs like Martigues, Valenciennes, Lens and Chamois Niortais. He represented Mali at international level with a few appearances. For his coaching career records, he handled the GS Consolat from 17 September 2016 to 30 June 2017. The Club played 30 matches, won 16, drew 6 and lost 8 – making a 53.33% win. From 1 November 2017 – 10 May 2021, Chelle was with FC Martigues. 80 matches were played, 35 won, 24 drawn and 21 lost. This gives 43.75% win.
Enter 21 May 2021 – 11 December 2021 when the 47-year-old was with Boulogne. 16 matchers were played, 2 won, 5 drawn and 9 lost. 12.50% win. He handled the Malian national team from 6 May 2022 – 13 June 2024. 22 matches were played, 14 won, 5 drawn and 3 lost; making a 63.64% win. After he was sacked 13 June 2024, Chelle got a managerial contract with MC Oran 9 October 2024 where the Club played 7 games, won 2, lost 1 and drew 4. This gives a 28.57% win.
Chelle was announced as the technical adviser of the Super Eagles January 7 2025 by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). His mandate is to enable the team secure a ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Under the new contract, he is expected to earn a monthly salary of $50,000 while his two Assistants are to pocket $5,000 each. However, criticisms have since greeted the news with many questioning the NFF’s decision-making process. It is argued that the tactician lacks the pedigree to manage the Nigerian national side being ‘a French Ligue 2 veteran.’
Ex-Super Eagles defender, Sam Elijah, told allnigeriasoccer.com – an online platform; “I don’t think this is the right appointment. We have a local coach (Austin Eguavoen) who has done well in our past matches. He came and he redeemed the (Super Eagles) team. Now, they have been canvassing for a foreign coach all this while. I don’t know what the NFF is looking for. For me, bringing Eric Chelle to take over the national team is a slap on our football.”
Other Nigerian Internationals like Victor Anichebe, Etim Esin and Ifeanyi Udeze have also slammed the NFF over choice of the new coach.
Writing in the Vanguard Newspaper of January 11, 2025, in a piece titled; Eagles New Coach – Wickedness or genius? Mathematical Segun Odegbami regretted that Nigeria chose Chelle ahead its legion of retired ex-internationals with experiences and qualifications that make Eric’s look like kindergarten stuff.
Despite the widespread angry reactions sparked by the appointment, a few pundits have pointed out that our dear Late Stephen Keshi was hired to handle the Sparrow Hawks of Togo 2004-2008 and 2011 before moving to Mali to manage the national team 2008-2010. Former Sharks and Rangers player, Harrison Okagbue, was also said to have been appointed the Ugandan national team technical adviser between 1999 and 2001.
Christian Chukwu – first Nigerian to lift the African Nations Cup Trophy – is reputed to have coached the Kenyan National team in 1998. Others are Shuaibu Amodu who was South African Orlando Pirates tactician from 1996 to 1997.
Just as Controversial Sunday Oliseh is reportedly doing well leading Fortuna Sittard in the Netherlands, erstwhile Nigerian international, Emmanuel Amunike, by records is currently managing Al Khartoum Watani – Sudanese top division side.
No doubt, Nigeria is in an animated suspense over the NFF decision right now. Which is quite logical. Sincerely speaking, Observers Times believes it is high time Nigeria began developing a home-grown unique soccer style. But how feasible is this when we go globe-trotting looking for foreign tacticians? More like going to Sokoto to seek what is in Sokoto. Our local coaches need to be supported with their potentialities harnessed for the top soccer job in the land.
Regardless, as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) prepares to unveil Eric Sekou Chelle at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja Monday 13th January 2025, we call for some restraints from football aficionados on the matter. Our attention has been drawn to the fact that sometime in the 1990s when Clemens Westerhof was about to be appointed as the national team coach, critics viewed his qualifications then as nothing much to write home about.
Yet till date, Westerhof remains arguably one of the most successful team managers in the annals of Nigerian football. Thus, at the risk of sounding as Chelle’s publicist, let us cut the man some slack. This is just an appeal in line with the promise of the NFF to avail the manager all the support he requires to succeed on the job. And considering the shortness of time before our qualifiers kick off in March with an away match against Rwanda and a home fixture against Zimbabwe.
Editorial: Who is Eric Chelle?
