THE National Sports Commission (NSC) has announced that Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle will remain in charge of Nigeria’s senior national team after both parties reached an agreement on a new contract, while also assigning him responsibility for the U-23 side.
News Point Nigeria Sport reports that the NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko disclosed this on Tuesday following a meeting between officials of the Commission and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in Abuja, where broader plans for the future of Nigeria’s national teams were discussed.
Chelle’s initial two-year contract, which is set to expire at the end of 2026, had been under negotiation for an improved deal in recent months.
Following Nigeria’s third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, the 47-year-old Malian coach was reported to have requested a monthly salary package of $130,000, a figure that also included remuneration for his assistants and other contractual conditions.
Providing an update after the Abuja meeting, Dikko confirmed that an agreement had been reached on revised terms, including improved remuneration and enhanced provisions for the coach’s backroom staff.
“We have reached new terms with the coach about his new remuneration. We are also going to take care of his assistants, and there are other benchmarks that we have put on the table, and I’m sure the coach will be very excited about it,” Dikko said.
Beyond his continued role with the three-time AFCON champions, Chelle has now also been assigned responsibility for Nigeria’s U-23 national team as preparations begin for the men’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
According to Dikko, the decision is aimed at ensuring continuity between the U-23 team and the senior national team, with several young players expected to transition into the Super Eagles in the coming years.
“With the NFF, we also agreed that the coach will take care of the U-23 national team because we have young players coming into the Super Eagles within that age bracket.
“So, Eric Chelle and his team, plus other people who will support them, will handle the project. The objective is not to give the coach more work but to start building for the future,” he added.
The expanded mandate places additional responsibility on Chelle, who is expected to also revive the fortunes of Nigeria’s U-23 side.
Like the Super Eagles, who have failed to qualify for the last two FIFA World Cup editions, the Olympic Eagles have also struggled in recent years, missing out on the men’s football tournament at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
