The National Sports Commission (NSC) has announced that Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle will remain in charge of Nigeria’s senior national team and also take charge of the U-23 side after both parties reached an agreement on a new contract.
NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko disclosed this on Tuesday following a meeting between officials of the Commission and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in Abuja, where plans for the future of the national teams were discussed.
Chelle’s initial two-year contract is due to expire at the end of 2026, and negotiations over an improved deal have been ongoing in recent months.
After a third-place finish at the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, the 47-year-old Malian was reported to have requested a monthly salary package of $130,000, which would also cover the remuneration of his assistants, among other conditions.
Providing an update on the talks, Dikko revealed that an agreement had been reached and that the new terms would include improved remuneration as well as provisions for Chelle’s backroom staff.
“We have reached new terms with the coach about his new remuneration. We are also going to take care of his assistants, 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 after the meeting.
Beyond his role with the three-time AFCON winners, Chelle has also been handed responsibility for Nigeria’s U-23 team as preparations begin for the men’s football event at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
According to Dikko, the move is aimed at ensuring continuity between the U-23 side and the senior national team, with several young players expected to transition into the Super Eagles in the coming years.
“With the NFF, we also agreed that the coach will take care of the U-23 national team because we have young players coming into the Super Eagles within that age bracket.
“So, Eric Chelle and his team, plus other people who will support them, will handle the project. The objective is not to give the coach more work but to start building for the future,” Dikko added.
The expanded role comes with added pressure for Chelle, who is expected to revive the fortunes of Nigeria’s U-23 side.
Like the Super Eagles, who failed to qualify for the last two editions of the FIFA World Cup, the Olympic Eagles have also missed the men’s football event at the last two Olympic Games, failing to qualify for both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
