The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced the former coach of Mali Eric Chelle as the new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria ahead of the resumption of the world cup qualifiers, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Chelle was the top pick of the technical committee of the NFF from a three man shortlist, with the coach getting the backing of the NFF president Ibrahim Musa Gusau this time around after rejecting his appointment in July last year.
But who is Eric Chelle?
He was born in the Ivory Coast to a French father and a Malian mother, he played his entire professional career in France and won six caps for Mali between 2003 and 2006.
His previous job as coach before getting the job of the head coach of Mali includes working as youth coach at Marseille Consolat, before coaching spells at Martigues and Boulogne in the French lower divisions.
In the race to be appointed as the coach of Mali in 2022, the 47 year old was favoured ahead of German duo which includes the former coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr and also Winfred Schafer formerly of Cameroon.
Chelle replaced Mohammed Magassouba as head coach of Mali and led the team for two years until he was dismissed in June last year after Mali were held to a goalless draw by 10-man Madagascar in a Group I World Cup qualifier in Johannesburg. Prior to the draw, Mali squandered a one-goal lead to lose 2-1 to the Black Stars, who had been struggling in their recent games.
Both results saw them drop to 4th in their group. Four points behind surprise group leaders Comoros leading to a breakdown in his relationship with the power brokers in the Malian FA, and subsequently led to his sack. The players of the team were heavily opposed to his exit with many threatening to quit if the decision wasn’t reversed.
An apostle of free flowing football using wingers in a 4-4-2 formation, the former defender who holds a UEFA Pro license is however no slave to a particular tactics, but in all of his formation he is more at home with playing with two strikers.
Throughout his stay as the coach of Mali the team played with a two man attack as he is a staunch believer of the statement that attack is the best form of defense. His idea yielded good results with the team keeping ten clean sheets under his guide.
In 22 games as the coach of Mali , the team won 14 games, drew five and lost three times. They scored 36 goals and conceded 12 in return.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
