The Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, has confirmed that Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, will remain in charge of Nigeria’s senior national team and will also take over the U-23 Olympic Eagles.
Dikko made this known on Tuesday following a meeting between officials of the National Sports Commission and the Nigeria Football Federation in Abuja to map out the future of the national teams.
Chelle’s initial two-year contract was set to expire at the end of 2026, but the new agreement extends his stay with an improved salary package of 100,000 dollars per month, which will also cover the remuneration of his backroom staff.
The expanded role comes as the Franco-Malian tactician faces the immediate challenge of qualifying the senior team for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and rebuilding the under-23 team for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The Olympic Eagles have endured a rough patch in recent years, failing to qualify for both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 games. Handing the U-23 team to Chelle is designed to create a smooth transition for young talent moving up to the senior team.
Dikko revealed certain financial aspects of the deal.
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.”
The sports commission clarified that this dual role is meant to establish a continuous pipeline for rising football stars rather than overworking the current technical crew.
Regarding the integration of the two teams, Dikko stated, “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.”