Super Eagles Begin New Era Under Eric Chelle
The newly appointed Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, kicked off his tenure in Nigeria on a high note, witnessing a spirited 3-2 victory by the home-based Super Eagles against Sunshine Stars in a friendly match held on Tuesday in Ikenne, Ogun State.

Chelle, who arrived in Nigeria on Sunday from Algeria, was officially unveiled on Monday in Abuja. Alongside his mandate to lead Nigeria to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Malian tactician has been tasked with overseeing the development of the home-based Super Eagles squad, who are preparing for the rescheduled 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

Shortly after his unveiling, Chelle traveled to Ikenne with Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Technical Director Augustine Eguavoen to meet the home-based squad and their coaching team, led by Daniel Ogunmodede and Fidelis Ilechukwu.

The team put on an impressive display, with goals from Isaac Saviour, Anas Yusuf, and Ikouwem Utin securing a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Sunshine Stars of Akure. Chelle, observing from the sidelines, praised the players for their performance and expressed satisfaction with the team’s readiness.

Assistant coaches Ogunmodede and Ilechukwu also expressed their excitement at working under Chelle, pledging their full support. Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Ilechukwu said, “My humble self and my colleagues were so excited to receive our boss, Eric Chelle… I’m ready to learn from the boss and support him. Welcome to Nigeria, Coach Eric.”

Coach Ogunmodede echoed similar sentiments, sharing, “I am extremely excited to receive our esteemed National Team Coach, Éric Sékou Chelle… We extend our best wishes to our Head Coach for an inspiring and successful journey ahead.”

Although preparations for CHAN 2024 are in full swing, the camping program may pause following CAF’s decision to reschedule the tournament from February to August to allow host nations Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to improve infrastructure.

The draw for the competition, held on January 15 in Kenya, placed Nigeria in a challenging group alongside defending champions Senegal, Sudan, and Congo. This marks the Super Eagles’ return to CHAN for the first time since 2018.