Eric Chelle Targets AFCON 2027 Glory with Super Eagles
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has revealed his ambition to win the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria. The Franco-Malian coach, who was appointed on January 7, 2025, has yet to lose a game in regular time since taking charge.
Despite this, Chelle has fallen short of his main objectives so far – qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and winning the AFCON 2025 tournament. Nigeria were knocked out by Morocco in the semi-finals on penalties before claiming a record ninth bronze medal with a win over Egypt.
Following the third-place victory, Chelle said the medal was a relief and gave him hope for the future.
“Yes, it’s positive, but it was tough today. I’m proud of my players. They showed character again against a very good Egyptian team,” Chelle told Canal + Sport Afrique.
He added that winning the bronze was important for his own position as coach. “It’s true that if we hadn’t finished third, it would have been difficult for me to continue. You come in, you have your first Africa Cup of Nations, and you are eliminated in the quarter-finals. Then again, in this AFCON, we were one of the best teams on the pitch, and yet we failed. It would have been hard to continue.”
Chelle also admitted there were times he had considered leaving coaching because of the pressure of almost-success. “I could have stopped coaching, maybe moved into player development or a technical director role. But the players gave me this wonderful gift. I’m happy. It’s pride and relief.”
He also praised Morocco for hosting a well-organised tournament. “Thank you to this country for organising AFCON so well. It was extraordinary. We’ll meet again in two years, and God willing, I’ll bring that trophy home.”
With no World Cup fixtures scheduled, Nigeria will have six months of non-competitive matches – a chance for Chelle to try new players ahead of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers.
