{"id":819724,"date":"2025-01-14T08:11:52","date_gmt":"2025-01-14T14:11:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/14\/super-eagles-new-boss-eric-chelle-reveals-three-nigerian-football-heroes-he-admires\/"},"modified":"2025-01-14T08:11:52","modified_gmt":"2025-01-14T14:11:52","slug":"super-eagles-new-boss-eric-chelle-reveals-three-nigerian-football-heroes-he-admires","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/14\/super-eagles-new-boss-eric-chelle-reveals-three-nigerian-football-heroes-he-admires\/","title":{"rendered":"Super Eagles\u2019 new boss Eric Chelle reveals three Nigerian football heroes he admires"},"content":{"rendered":"

Soccer <\/p>\n

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Malian tactician Eric Chelle has expressed his admiration for some of Nigeria\u2019s greatest football icons after his official unveiling as the new head coach of the Super Eagles, Soccernet.ng<\/a> reports<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Nigeria Football Federation introduced the former RC Lens defender to the public on Monday at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.<\/p>\n

Get Our Sports News First \u2013 Join Our WhatsApp Channel Now!<\/a><\/h4>\n
\"Soccer
New Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle speaking at his unveiling in Abuja on Monday. Photo Credit X<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chelle, 47, becomes the 37th head coach of Nigeria\u2019s national team and the first non-Nigerian African to take charge of the three-time Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winners.<\/p>\n

Born in C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire to a French father and Malian mother, the former defender represented Mali internationally, earning five caps.<\/p>\n

Despite his Malian ties, Chelle disclosed his deep admiration for the Super Eagles during his youth, highlighting three Nigerian legends who inspired him: Christian Chukwu, the 1980 AFCON-winning captain; Victor Ikpeba, the 1997 African Footballer of the Year; and Daniel Amokachi, a two-time Belgian Ebony Shoes Award winner.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
New Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle speaking at his unveiling in Abuja on Monday. Photo Credit X<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\u201cThis is a great job for me. I\u2019m so proud and honoured,\u201d Chelle said during his unveiling.<\/p>\n

\u201cNigeria has a great history, from Christian Chukwu, (Victor) Ikpeba, (Daniel) Amokachi. When I was young, Nigeria was my favourite team.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Chelle has pledged to transform the Super Eagles into an attacking force, promising fans a goal-laden style of play.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
New Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle at his unveiling in Abuja on Monday. Photo Credit X<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

His record with Mali underscores his attacking philosophy: during his tenure, Mali netted over 40 goals in 22 matches, winning 14 games, drawing five, and losing just three.<\/p>\n

Under his guidance, Mali reached the 2023 AFCON quarterfinals, overcoming South Africa and Burkina Faso before falling to hosts C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire in extra time.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI love scoring goals. My teams are never lacking in goals, and the Super Eagles will be no exception \u2013 we will score goals,\u201d Chelle added<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Chelle will also oversee<\/a> the home-based Super Eagles\u2019 preparations for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN).<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
Coach Eric Chelle of Mali during the TotalEnergies Caf Africa Cup of Nations Afcon 2023 match between Mali and Burkinafaso at Stade Amadou Gon Coulibaly on January 30, 2024 in Korhogo, Cote d Ivoire. Photo by IMAGO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, his immediate task lies in reviving Nigeria\u2019s stuttering 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.<\/p>\n

The Super Eagles currently sit fifth in their group, trailing Rwanda, South Africa, Benin, and Lesotho. Only the group winners secure a spot in the tournament.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tImhonlamhen Eronmhonsele\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t<\/h3>\n

\n\t\t\t\tImhonlamhen Eronmhonsele turns into a ball of passion when writing about Nigerian football and its talents, whether rising stars or established legends, locally and abroad.<\/p>\n

From the deepest corners of the Middle East, to the green fields of the Americas, to the celebrated grounds in Europe, and the rich soils of Africa, Imhons is more than glad, usually with a glass of a tasty drink nearby, to capture the essence of the game, by connecting the dots between culture, identity, and football.\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Read More<\/a>Imhonlamhen Eronmhonsele<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Soccer Malian tactician Eric Chelle has expressed his admiration for some of Nigeria\u2019s greatest football icons after his official unveiling as the new head coach of the Super Eagles, Soccernet.ng reports. The Nigeria Football Federation introduced the former RC Lens defender to the public on Monday at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja. Get […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":819725,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3577,2005,4578],"tags":[7956,6323],"class_list":{"0":"post-819724","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-eagles","8":"category-soccer","9":"category-super","10":"tag-eagles","11":"tag-super"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/819724","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=819724"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/819724\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/819725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=819724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=819724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=819724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}