Moses Simon reacts to the appointment of Eric Chelle as Super Eagles coach: What did he say??
Nantes forward Moses Simon has become the first Super Eagles player to react to the appointment of Eric Chelle as the new head coach of the Nigerian national team.
The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) announced Chelle’s appointment late on January 7, 2025, and his tenure began immediately.
Chelle, a former Mali international defender, replaces Augustine Eguavoen, who had been acting as interim head coach since September 2024, following the resignation of Finidi George and the collapse of Bruno Labbadia’s appointment.
Moses Simon welcomed the new coach on his official X account, writing in French: “Bienvenue au Nigéria”, which means “Welcome to Nigeria.”
Simon will be hoping that Chelle can help improve Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Super Eagles are currently struggling in their qualification group, having played four matches without a win, and sitting in fifth place in a group that includes Benin Republic, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Rwanda.
The qualifiers will resume in March 2025, with Nigeria scheduled to face Rwanda and Zimbabwe. Rwanda defeated Nigeria 2-1 in an AFCON qualifying match in November 2024.
Moses Simon, a key player for Nigeria since his debut in 2015, has earned over 70 caps and played in three Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments. He has worked under several coaches, including Gernot Rohr, José Peseiro, and Eguavoen.
Eguavoen led Nigeria to top their AFCON qualification group in 2025, but the World Cup qualifiers have been more challenging, making Chelle’s task even harder.
Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and it would be seen as a huge disappointment if they miss out on the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
