Biola Afolabi
For Super Eagles Coach, Éric Sékou Chelle, it was a baptism of victory on Friday as Nigeria emphatically defeated Rwanda 2-0 in the World Cup qualifier match.
Victor Osimhen secured both goals in the first half, deepening his current super form and seemingly paining Chelle as the derided stone that may become the head of the corner.
Many were negatively shocked when Celle was introduced from ‘neighbouring’ Ivory Coast/Mali, instead of a sophisticated faraway England or Germany they were looking at.
But apart from the fact that he has so far been able to gather a united Eagles, Friday’s great victory in the crucial match has landed him in the good book of Nigeria’s soccer-crazy chaps.
The man Celle
He is a professional football manager, head coach of the Nigeria national football team and a former player who played as a centre-back. Born in Ivory Coast to a French father and a Malian mother, he made five appearances for the Mali national team.
One of his online profiles further indicates that he holds French nationality and spent his whole career in France, appearing for Martigues, Valenciennes, Lens, Istres, and Chamois Niortais. At international level, he represented Mali.
In May 2021 was appointed head coach of US Boulogne. He was dismissed by Boulogne on 11 December 2021, after the club gained three points in preceding ten games.
In 2022, Chelle was appointed manager of Mali. He was dismissed on 13 June 2024.
On 9 October 2024, Éric Chelle became the coach of MC Oran in the Algerian Ligue 1 Pro.
On 7 January 2025, Chelle was announced by the Nigeria Football Federation as the head coach of the Nigeria Senior Football National Team, the Super Eagles.
