NFF Reportedly Lines Up Nigerian Legends As New Coach and Assistant Amid Plans to Sack Eric Chelle
- The Nigeria Football Federation has reportedly lined up two Nigerian football legends to lead the Super Eagles
- NFF is considering parting ways with Eric Chelle if the Super Eagles fail to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- The federation hired Chelle in January with the sole responsibility of turning around the qualifying campaign
The Nigeria Football Federation has reportedly taken a step forward in its preparations to replace Eric Chelle if it decides to sack the Super Eagles boss.
Chelle will oversee the final two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Lesotho and Benin Republic, which will decide the Super Eagles' fate.
Source: Getty Images
A win in both matches is not enough for Nigeria to qualify; South Africa and Benin Republic’s results must go their way to book the automatic ticket.
The failure to qualify for the tournament will reportedly spell the end of Eric Chelle’s tenure in charge of the Nigerian national team after nine months.
The NFF hired the former Mali national team manager in January 2025, with the sole responsibility of turning around the World Cup qualifying campaign.
At the time of his appointment, the Super Eagles had three points from the first four matches, with a tough hill to climb if they were to qualify.
AFCON finalist Jose Peseiro coached two 1-1 draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, while Finidi George drew 1-1 against South Africa and lost 2-1 to Benin Republic.
Eric Chelle’s journey so far
The Franco-Malian has coached the Super Eagles in seven matches, excluding the dismal outing at the African Nations Championship, where Nigeria was eliminated in the group stage.
He won his first match, a 2-0 victory over Rwanda in Kigali in the World Cup qualifier, but drew 1-1 against Zimbabwe in Uyo thanks to a late equaliser from the Warriors.
In June, he beat Ghana 2-1 in the Unity Cup semi-final before beating Jamaica on penalties in the final. Days later, Nigeria played a 1-1 draw against Russia.
The October international break had mixed results: a 1-0 win over Rwanda and a 1-1 draw against South Africa, which left the World Cup hopes in the balance.
NFF lines up Chelle's replacement
Score Nigeria reports that ahead of the final two qualifying games, the Nigeria Football Federation has lined up a replacement for the manager.
Source: Getty Images
Chelle will reportedly be sacked if Nigeria fails to qualify for the World Cup, which was his given task when he was appointed in January.
NFF technical director Augustine Eguavoen will take over for the fifth time and lead the Super Eagles to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The publication added that former Flying Eagles coach, who is currently the head coach of NPFL side Barau FC, Ladan Bosso, will be his first assistant.
Bosso had coached the Nigerian U20 team twice and had longed to work in the senior national team setup.
Fan sends strong message to NFF
Legit.ng reported that a fan sent a message to the NFF amid plans to sack Eric Chelle if the Super Eagles fail to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
There have been growing calls for the NFF board to vacate the positions if the country misses out on two consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments.
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Source: Legit.ng
