Nigeria appoints ex-Mali boss as new Super Eagles coach

By Mark Ogagan

Nigeria on Tuesday named Malian Eric Chelle as their new head coach, with a onerous, somewhat impossible task of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

The Super Eagles must win all their remaining six group matches to stand any chance of going through.

The 47-year-old’s most recent international job was in charge of Mali for two years and he took them to the quarter-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where they lost on penalties to hosts Cote d’Ivoire.

The former international defender was born in Abidjan but won five caps for Mali. He spent his club career in France, most notably with Lens.

Nigeria resume their World Cup qualifying campaign in March when they travel to face Rwanda before hosting Zimbabwe.

Nigeria has taken only three points from their opening four matches in Group C and trail Rwanda, South Africa and Benin, who each have seven points.

The top side in each of the nine groups advance automatically to the 2026 finals in North America, while the four best runners-up enter continental play-offs with the potential for one extra place.

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Olunloyo Akindele Olufemi

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