Since the 2013 AFCON success, Nigeria has dreamt of winning the prestigious AFCON title again. Now, it is the year 2025 and Eric Chelle would be the one to spearhead the charge for the AFCON 2025 title. As expected, the hopes of Nigerians are high going into this tournament. However, the question on the lips of Nigerians is; Is Eric Chelle the Right Man to Lead the Super Eagles to AFCON Success?
Well, if you’re among those who have asked that question, then you’ve come to the right place. In this post, you’ll be reading a thorough information on Eric Chelle’s background as a manager, his style of play, and the positives as well as the negatives of hiring Eric Chelle.
You’ll be reading about how all of these factors would play into Nigeria emerging as victors at the AFCON 2025 tournament. Let’s begin by looking at who Eric Chelle really is.
Who Is Eric Chelle?
Eric Chelle is a former Malian footballer who has become a to coach. He was born on the 11th of November 1977 in the Ivory Coast. When he was still an active footballer, his played in the central back position.
As a center back, he played for French club sides such as Lens and Vannes. In his time with this club side, Eric Chelle was known for his leadership and vocal attitude in the dressing room and on the pitch.
After he retired from active football in 2014, Eric Chelle decided to move into coaching. He started his coaching career in lower divisions in the French league. Then, he moved to Mali to coach USM Alger. His impressive record with the USM Alger team earned him a call-up to coach the Mali National Football team.
Eric Chelle Mali Coaching Career
Eric Chelle coached Mali in 20 international matches in his career. During this period, he had an impressive win rate of 60%. In addition, his Malian team managed to secure an average of 1.6 goals per game and conceded less than 1 goal per game on average.
Eric Chelle’s limelight came at the AFCON 2023 tournament when he coached Mali. Mali was in a tough group with the big boys of African football but Eric Chelle showed tactical superiority during this stage. His team was able to concede only 2 goals throughout the group stage. Mali eventually reached the quarterfinals of AFCON and were eliminated via penalties.
Eric Chelle Style of Play
Eric Chelle’s team is known for controlling the game and being efficient in goal scoring. He is a coach who is bent on ensuring that his team is disciplined enough to know that everyone is involved in defense coordination and attack buildup.
His preferred formations include the 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3. With this formation, Eric Chelle can get his teams to maintain defensive compaction and also control the midfield. In cases where they need to switch to counterattack, these formations allow them to quickly make that transition with skillful and fast players.
Reasons Eric Chelle Could Succeed with the Super Eagles
Here are some reasons why Eric Chelle could succeed with the Super Eagles of Nigeria:
1. He Has Experience in African Football
African football is quite different compared to European football. Unlike in Europe, the football played by teams in Africa is physical and is played on bad football pitches. In addition, African football is decided mostly on intensity and not on tactics.
Eric Chelle understands this very well as his Mali side was a team that rarely conceded goals against opponents. It was also noted that his Malian sides maintained shape even under pressure from top teams. They kept on playing even under intense conditions. So, this could come in handy when he leads the Super Eagles into the AFCON tournament.
This is because the Super Eagles of Nigeria in previous AFCON games have lost games due to a lack of discipline in the defense. Also, lack of concentration in the matches such as against the Ivory Coast in the AFCON 2023 final also cost Nigeria the match. This is an area where Eric Chelle would work on and thrive with the Super Eagles.
2. Strong Defensive Organization
According to statistics, Nigeria conceded 7 goals at the AFCON 2021 and 6 goals at the AFCON 2019. These goals conceded were from simple mistakes in defense. Well, Eric Chelle teams have always shown discipline in keeping a tight defense especially going into competitions as big as the AFCON 2025.
Since he was able to help Mali, a lesser team than Nigeria, Eric Chelle would be capable of helping Nigeria, a more talented team, to achieve a tight defense.
3. Managing Big Name Players
Eric Chelle has been said to show a character that is able to manage big personalities. According to players who have worked with him in the past, it has been stated that Eric doesn’t favor players based on name. Instead, he works with players who show commitment and hard work in training.
Already, this has been seen in Eric Chelle’s AFCON 2025 squad list. Eric Chelle has dropped the “supposed big name” and has favored players who play consistently at their club sides.
4. Emphasis On Youth Development
Eric Chelle is one of those coaches who trusts young players’ development. This was shown in his Mali team and is showing in his Nigeria Super Eagles team. So far, we’ve seen how Eric Chelle has called up young players such as Benjamin Fredrick and Adams Akor.
These players, in turn, have repaid the trust shown by delivering top performances from their end. In the AFCON 2025 squad, there are a lot of young names on the list, one can only hope that they live up to the expectations and repay the manager’s trust in them.
READ THIS: Five Players Who Would Be Missing Out Of AFCON 2025
Risks Involved In Hiring Eric Chelle
Eric Chelle’s appointment has come with several concerns. Some of these concerns are:
1. Limited Experience with Big Teams
Nigeria is a bigger footballing nation than Mali. As such, the pressure to deliver is higher. In Nigeria, after every loss of a game, it is expected that there would be millions of fans calling for your sack.
In addition, there would be criticism from the mainstream media channels in Nigeria questioning your approach to games. All of this could be new to Eric Chelle and as a result, it could be overwhelming to him. If caution is not taken, he could even crumble under the pressure.
2. Handling Nigerian Football Politics
To be honest, Nigerian football politics is something that needs an experienced coach to handle. In recent times, there have been criticisms of the poor administration. In addition, issues around late bonuses have reached the media.
Along with that, there have been rumors that the Nigerian squad list selection has been interfered with by the higher bodies in the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF). All of these can make Eric Chelle lose control over the situations that he should ordinarily handle.
Conclusion
Eric Chelle is a coach whose methods have worked for him. In Mali, Eric Chelle is celebrated as a hero for taking his team to the quarterfinals of the AFCON 2023, but in Nigeria,, that feat is seen as an ordinary feat. This shows that a lot of work needs to be done by Eric Chelle to be able to live up to the level expected of him. The question is ; Will he be able to live up to it?