Nantes ahead Moses Simon has change into the primary Tremendous Eagles participant to touch upon the appointment of Eric Chelle as the brand new head coach of the Nigerian nationwide staff, Soccernet.ng studies.
The Nigerian Soccer Federation (NFF) introduced the Malian’s appointment late on January 7, 2025, together with his tenure starting instantly.
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Chelle, a former Mali worldwide defender, replaces Augustine Eguavoen, who had served as interim head coach since September 2024 following the resignation of Finidi George and the collapse of Bruno Labbadia’s proposed appointment.
Taking to his official X account, Moses Simon prolonged a heat welcome to the brand new coach, writing in French: “Bienvenue au Nigéria“, translating to “Welcome to Nigeria.”
Simon will hope Chelle may also help revive Nigeria’s fading hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Tremendous Eagles at the moment face a difficult path of their bid to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
After 4 matches, the Tremendous Eagles are with out a win and sit fifth of their qualification group, which incorporates Benin Republic, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Rwanda.
The qualifiers resume in March 2025 with Nigeria scheduled to face Rwanda – the Wasps claimed a 2-1 AFCON qualifying win in Uyo in November- and Zimbabwe.
Simon, a key determine within the Nigerian squad since his debut in 2015, has represented the staff over 70 occasions and featured in three Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments.
He has performed below a number of coaches, together with Gernot Rohr, José Peseiro, and Eguavoen.
Eguavoen led Nigeria by the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, steering the staff to prime their group, which included Libya, Rwanda, and the Benin Republic.
Nevertheless, the World Cup qualifiers have confirmed tougher, elevating the stakes for Chelle.
Nigeria did not qualify for the 2022 version of the World Cup in Qatar and can contemplate it catastrophic ought to the Tremendous Eagles not make the 2026 pageant set to be collectively hosted by the US of America, Canada, and Mexico.
Imhonlamhen Eronmhonsele
Imhonlamhen Eronmhonsele turns right into a ball of ardour when writing about Nigerian soccer and its skills, whether or not rising stars or established legends, domestically and overseas.
From the deepest corners of the Center East, to the inexperienced fields of the Americas, to the celebrated grounds in Europe, and the wealthy soils of Africa, Imhons is greater than glad, often with a glass of a tasty drink close by, to seize the essence of the sport, by connecting the dots between tradition, identification, and soccer.