President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Gusau, has dismissed speculation that Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle could be tempted away by other African nations following Nigeria's outing at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Chelle led the Super Eagles to a third-place finish at the continental tournament, earning the backing of his players to continue in the role despite falling short of delivering a fourth AFCON title for Nigeria. In the aftermath of the competition, reports linked the Franco-Malian tactician with coaching vacancies in Tunisia, Guinea, Angola and his former national team, Mali. Tunisian football authorities are said to have made enquiries and reportedly tabled a potential offer worth about $100,000 per month.
Reacting to the reports on Tuesday, Gusau insisted that Chelle remains under contract and committed to Nigeria, stressing that any suitors would have to wait until his deal runs out.
“We still have a one-year contract with Eric, and whatever interest anyone shows in him will have to wait until his contract expires,” Gusau said.
The NFF president also questioned whether the interested countries could match the working conditions available to the coach in Nigeria.
“It’s not just about interest in him because he has gotten results with the Super Eagles. Even if they offer him more money, do they have the necessary materials for him to work with?” he added.
Gusau further expressed confidence in Chelle’s dedication to the national team project, noting that the coach believes he can fulfil his ambitions with the Super Eagles.
“We quite understand that he enjoys working with Nigeria, and I know he believes he can achieve his dreams in Africa with us. He has so much belief in the Super Eagles,” Gusau said.
Chelle has also publicly affirmed his desire to continue in the role, while harbouring long-term aspirations of building a career profile strong enough to one day become the first African to coach Spanish giants Real Madrid.
“Like I said, I have been a fan of the team, and this job is very important to me. I just try to do my job, and after the last game, normally I will have meetings with the NFF and we will decide. If nobody tells me I have to stop, then I am here,” he said during the AFCON.
Appointed by the NFF in January 2025 on a two-year contract, Chelle officially began work in March 2025, overseeing Nigeria’s remaining fixtures in the troubled 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, which ended in a second consecutive failure to reach the global tournament.
Since taking charge, the former Mali coach has overseen 18 official matches, recording 12 wins and six draws. However, two of those draws resulted in penalty shoot-out defeats — against DR Congo in the 2026 World Cup African play-offs in November 2025 and against Morocco in the AFCON semi-finals two months later.
