By Fakande Oluwamayowa
Eric Chelle has said the Super Eagles have improved since he took charge as head coach.
Chelle was appointed head coach by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in January 2025, replacing former Super Eagles winger Finidi George.
Under the guidance of the 47-year-old former Mali coach, the Super Eagles won four and drew two of their last six 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, which was enough to secure a playoff spot.
After his first matches as head coach of the Super Eagles against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, Chelle led the team to win the Unity Cup in England in May and followed it with a 1-1 draw with Russia in an international friendly match in June.
Chelle believes that since he took charge, the Super Eagles have consistently improved in each game they played, which is a positive sign.
“I think the Super Eagles have improved since I took over but it’s difficult because you don’t have all the time to work because in the FIFA window, you have like two training sessions and you need to be focused on one or two principles of play,” he said. “It’s difficult to work on a lot of things. Reflecting on my 10 months in the Super Eagles, I think we improved in each game. We take it one game at a time.
“I think it has been positive but I was a little disappointed because of the CHAN but if you look with the Super Eagles, it’s positive, and now the most important thing is November, we have two games, and the reality is that the job starts now.”
He, however, admitted being scared initially due to the pressure that comes with handling a big team like the Super Eagles.
