The Nigeria Football Federation has made a bold and ambitious move, and not everyone is convinced it is the right one.
The NFF has extended the contract of Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle and handed him an additional role as head coach of Nigeria’s U-23 national team, with a reported salary of $100,000.
Chelle’s appointment is tied directly to Nigeria’s preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, scheduled to run from July 14 to July 30.
Under the new arrangement, the Malian is expected to remain in charge of the Super Eagles until 2030.
Meanwhile Che will also guide the Olympic Eagles through qualification, developing the next generation of Super Eagles players along the way.
The NFF believes the dual role creates a seamless pipeline between age-grade and senior football, giving Chelle full visibility over Nigeria’s most promising talents at every level.
Duo Role Debacle
While some stakeholders argue the logic is sound. For others, the concern is real.
Former Super Eagles midfielder Garba Lawal is firmly in support of the decision.
Lawal sees the appointment as a strategic advantage, one that gives the coach the ability to monitor young talent early and promote them when ready.
“This is very good for Nigeria,” Lawal said. “Eric Chelle can call up players who perform very well in the Olympics. I only fear that Nigeria cannot sustain that $100,000 payment.”
But former Super Eagles head coach Finidi George sees it differently.
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For him, the issue is not Chelle’s ability, it is the weight of expectation being placed on one man’s shoulders.
“Super Eagles is already stress enough for him, don’t add more stress to it because you’re paying him $100,000,” George said.
“Tell him your expectations and target on Super Eagles and let him concentrate on that. Let him get this job done.”
Finidi went further, arguing that the dual appointment also shuts the door on capable Nigerian coaches who could use the U-23 role as a platform to prove themselves.
“There are other Nigerian coaches that can do it, let them improve. There should be division of labor,” he said.
The debate reflects a wider tension in Nigerian football, between the desire for continuity and the very real risk of overloading the man at the centre of it all.
Eric Chelle now carries the weight of two national teams, one World Cup cycle and an Olympic qualification campaign on his shoulders.
