Chelle agrees new Super Eagles contract, to also head U-23 team
Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has confirmed that Eric Chelle has agreed a new contract to continue as Super Eagles coach and to also take up the U-23 coaching job.
The agreement was reached during a meeting at the NSC headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday with members of the Nigeria Football Federation in attendance.
It would be recalled that Chelle demanded a salary package of $130,000, which would also cover the remuneration of his assistants, among other conditions after leading the Super Eagles to a third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Dikko confirmed Chelle has agreed a new contract with an improved financial offer as well as provisions for Chelle’s backroom staff.
He said: “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.”
Chelle was also handed the responsibility of leading the Nigeria’s U-23 team to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
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Dikko said the decision to appoint Chelle as the U-23 coach was aimed at ensuring continuity between the team and the Super Eagles.
He said: “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. The objective is not to give the coach more work but to start building for the future.”
According to reports, Chelle is set to earn $100,000 monthly, a rise from his earlier $45,000 salary and the NFF will pay his assistants.
Chelle was appointed as Super Eagles coach in January 2025 and he led the Super Eagles to a third-place finish at the 2025 Nations Cup but he failed to qualify the team for the 2026 World Cup as they lost out to DR Congo in the playoffs.
He has recorded 17 wins, five draws and five defeats in 27 matches in charge of the Super Eagles.
