The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has officially announced the appointment of Éric Sékou Chelle as the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles.

The decision followed a meeting of the NFF Technical and Development Sub-Committee held in Abuja on Thursday, January 2, 2025. During the meeting, the subcommittee recommended Chelle, a former coach of Mali’s senior national team, for the role. The recommendation was subsequently endorsed by the NFF Executive Committee on Tuesday, January 7, 2025.

Chelle's appointment takes effect immediately, with his primary objective being to secure Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Super Eagles will play their next set of qualifiers, Matchdays 5 and 6, in March 2025.

A former defender, Chelle earned five caps for Mali’s national team, the Aiglons, during his playing career. As a coach, he has managed clubs including GS Consolat, FC Martigues, Boulogne, and MC Oran. Chelle became Head Coach of Mali in 2022 but was relieved of his duties on June 13, 2024.

Now at the helm of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Chelle faces the challenge of revitalizing the team and guiding them to global football's biggest stage.