The National Sports Commission (NSC) has confirmed that a new contract agreement has been reached with Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle, bringing an end to months of speculation over his future with the national team.
NSC Chairman, Shehu Dikko, announced the development on Tuesday during a meeting in Abuja attended by Ibrahim Gusau and other officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Chelle’s previous two-year contract was scheduled to expire at the end of 2026, with discussions over an extension ongoing for several months.
Under the revised agreement, the Franco-Malian tactician will receive an improved salary package. In addition, the NFF will now assume responsibility for the remuneration of his backroom staff, a cost reportedly borne by the coach under the previous arrangement.
“I can confirm to you that we have reached a new term with the coach. We are going to increase his money and also take care of his assistants who are helping him. There are other benchmarks that we have put on the table, and I’m sure the coach will be very excited about it,” Dikko said.
Beyond his role with the senior national team, Chelle has also been assigned responsibility for Nigeria’s men’s Under-23 side as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s football development pathway.
“We have also discussed how we can build for the future. In that aspect, we also agree with the coach and the NFF that the coach should take care of the U-23 national team,” Dikko added.
While the duration and financial details of the new contract were not disclosed, the agreement signals confidence in Chelle’s leadership since taking charge of the Super Eagles in 2025.
The coach guided Nigeria to a bronze-medal finish at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in 2025 and will now be tasked with leading the U-23 team’s quest to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Nigeria’s men’s football team has not participated in the Olympic Games since the Rio 2016 edition, making qualification for Los Angeles a key target under Chelle’s expanded mandate.