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*Disquiet amongst Nigerian coaches, Mali govt angry with FA over Chelle

Duro Ikhazuagbe

Former Mali Coach, Eric Sekou Chelle, who was appointed as Super Eagles Head Coach on Tuesday by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), is expected to touch down in Abuja at the weekend with his unveiling likely to hold early next week.

Chelle, 47, was appointed to replace Portuguese gaffer, Jose Peseiro who left the position after leading the Super Eagles to runner up slot behind hosts Côte d’Ivoire at the AFCON 2023 last February. Ex international, Finidi George who was in-charge on Interim basis got fired after he lost two crucial games. Another ex international, Augustine Eguavoen who was drafted in to lead Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 qualifiers got the ticket with a game to spare but declined to take the job with Eagles 2026 World Cup qualification fortunes sliding after four games.

A top football official confirmed to ������Ƶ last night that the former Malian gaffer will fly into Abuja at the weekend to tidy up the contract and hit the ground running immediately.

“There is no time to waste. Since he has accepted the offer of the federation, he needs to be on ground here in Abuja so that he can get familiarize with his working environment and start off with our Super Eagles B Team for the African Nations Championship,” observed the top official who will not want to be quoted on the matter.

Against fears in certain quarters that the new Super Eagles  Coach may have issues communicating with Nigerian players, ������Ƶ learnt that Chelle is fluent in both French and English.

“English will not be an issue at all. He speaks English and is even familiar with some of our senior players which will make it easier for him to integrate fully into the Super Eagles.”

However, reports from his home country Mali said Chelle appointment as Nigeria  coach was not well received by the military government in Bamako.

The ruling military Junta in Mali is unhappy with the country’s football association for letting the coach go despite appeals to keep him after Mali Eagles crashed out of AFCON 2023.

Football fans in the country are bashing the Malian FA on social media after the news broke that the NFF have hired their former coach.

When Chelle left the Malian team after the 2023 AFCON, it was a shock and a big mistake for many Malians and even their players.

In Chelle’s two year stint in Mali, his team played one of the best attacking football any Malian team has ever played and his results were very visible for everyone to see on the continent with 14 wins, 5 draws and just 3 losses in his 22 games in charge.

Back home in Nigeria, the social media was also a mixed bag of comments on the appointment of the Malian, with the majority insisting that it was a major gamble for the NFF to go for an African coach to replace Peseiro.

Even amongst Nigeria’s legion of ex internationals, most adopted “Siddon Look” posturing, waiting to see the magic Chelle will perform in Eagles remaining six World Cup matches to qualify the country for the Mundial to be jointly hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico in 2026.