It is no longer news that Eric Chelle has been unveiled as the new Super Eagles gaffer. Love or loathe him, Nigerians are left with no other choice but to wish him all the best as he takes over the reins as national team coach. Given the Frenchman’s background and the fact that he was sacked by FC Martugues, US Boulogne, and the Mali national team—and departed MC Oran in an unfavourable condition—Chelle might well be a divisive appointment. Having said that, he was able to transform the Eagles of Mali into a hard nut to crack, and the Elephant of Côte d’Ivoire can testify to this, given the fact that Mali was unlucky to have crashed out of the last AFCON. It took several bottles of cold water to calm Eric Chelle’s nerves after the Eagles of Mali eventually lost 2-1 to their hosts, and Chelle never recovered from that shock until he was eventually shown the door. But he has told anyone who cares to listen how excited he is to take up the job of one of Africa’s best national teams. While those excitements may have given way to reality, the pressure that comes with barking out orders to Super Eagles stars from the touchlines, below are five major challenges ahead of the stone-faced Super Eagles’ new manager, writes David Meshioye.1. Qualifying For the 2026 World Cup While Chelle’s job is safe irrespective of what comes out of the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, he will be a dead man walking should Nigeria fail to beat Rwanda and Zimbabwe in the two crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
