Director General of the National Sports Commission Bukola Olopade has dismissed rumors suggesting Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle might abandon his post for rival African nations. Despite reported interest from the football federations of Tunisia, Gabon, and Angola, Olopade maintains that the Malian tactician remains committed to his current role in Nigeria. The interest in Chelle intensified recently after he successfully guided the Nigerian national team to a bronze medal finish at the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
Although Chelle enters the final twelve months of his existing contract with the Nigeria Football Federation, the NSC leadership believes the superior talent pool in Nigeria provides the coach with his best chance for continued success. Olopade argued that the nations currently pursuing the coach lack the “world-class” personnel necessary to implement Chelle’s specific tactical vision. He emphasized that the synergy between the coaching staff and the elite athletes in the Nigerian squad creates a unique environment that rival suitors cannot replicate.
The Director General also revealed that he recently hosted Chelle for a private dinner in Abuja to discuss the team’s long-term trajectory and the manager’s future. A formal meeting involving the NFF President and the technical crew will likely occur this midweek to solidify the federation’s plans for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. This collaborative effort aims to stabilize the national team setup and put an end to the ongoing speculation regarding the managerial position.
Bukola Olopade provided clarity on the situation during a candid discussion with Footy-Africa: “Eric Chelle is not going anywhere. The countries claiming interest in him don’t have the kind of superstars that make his job easier. We must not forget that Eric thrived because he had the right equipment and instruments—the quality personnel he used to execute his ideas. I had dinner with him two days ago at my house in Abuja. I’m not the NFF President, but we operate with a collaborative approach, and Eric Chelle has become both a brother and a friend. That same night, I called the NFF president, and hopefully by Tuesday or Wednesday, we’ll all sit down together.”
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