Will Eric Chelle succeed as Super Eagles coach? Umar Sadiq shares his thoughts

Super Eagles forward, Umar Sadiq, has shown his support for the new head coach of the team, Eric Chelle, and believes he will be successful in the role.

Chelle was appointed as the Super Eagles’ head coach earlier this month, but the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has faced strong criticism over the decision to hire the Malian coach.

However, Sadiq is confident Chelle will have a successful stint with Nigeria’s national team. “You can see what he did in the last AFCON. Everyone thought Mali were among the favourites,” Sadiq told Sporty TV.

“They played very well but were knocked out in the quarterfinals. Sometimes it’s not always the best team that wins. But I can tell you, I watched a lot of Mali’s games because I have a teammate there. You can see how they play and the coach (Chelle) has a lot to offer.”

Chelle, who made headlines by leading Mali to their first win against the Super Eagles in 50 years in a friendly last March, will face his first official match in charge of Nigeria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying game against Rwanda in March.

Meanwhile, Sadiq Umar will be hoping to catch the attention of the new coach by performing well for his Spanish La Liga club, Valencia.