Nigeria appoint ex-Mali boss Chelle as new national team coach

Nigeria have named Eric Chelle as their new head coach and tasked him with reviving the West African nation’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

The 47-year-old's most recent international job was in charge of Mali for two years and he took them to the quarter-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where they lost on penalties to hosts Ivory Coast.

The former centre back was born in Abidjan but won five caps for Mali. He spent his club career in France, most notably with Lens.

Nigeria resume their World Cup qualifying campaign in March when they travel to face Rwanda before hosting Zimbabwe.

The Super Eagles have taken only three points from their opening four matches in Group C and trail Rwanda, South Africa and Benin, who each have seven points.

The top side in each of the nine groups advance automatically to the 2026 finals in North America, while the four best runners-up enter continental play-offs with the potential for one extra place.