The new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle hugged the headlines at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after his side’s quarter final defeat in the hands of the host Cote d’ Ivoire, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
A video of Chelle having water poured on his head by one of his assistants after his team Mali let slip a 1-0 lead to lose 1-2 in dramatic fashion went viral on the internet.
That video discussion was revisited when he was appointed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as the new coach of the senior national team of Nigeria, with a mandate to ensure that the team qualifies for the 2026 world cup.
His first game will be in March when the team takes on group leader Rwanda away from home, before squaring up against Zimbabwe at their home group which is the Godswill Akpabio stadium in Uyo.
Explaining the water pouring incident after the game, the new coach of the Super Eagles said he started to feel dizzy after his team conceded the second goal, which eventually led to their exit from the tournament.
“After the Elephants’ second goal, I started to feel dizzy, my blood pressure was rising. Thankfully, my compatriot poured enough water on my head to stabilize my blood pressure,” noted Chelle in the post match conference.
More tense moments will likely be in the offing for the 47 year old with Nigeria, who are currently 5th in their 6 team group in the world cup qualifiers which resumes in March.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
