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The Eric Chelle contract saga is finally over. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has agreed a new deal with the Super Eagles head coach, ending months of tense negotiations and handing the Franco-Malian fresh responsibility over the country’s Olympic team.
Both sides reached the agreement during a meeting at the National Sports Commission headquarters in Abuja. The deal keeps Chelle in charge of the senior national team and removes the uncertainty that had hung over his future since the African qualifiers.
What the new Eric Chelle contract includes
Under the new terms, Chelle will earn $100,000 each month, a sharp rise from the $45,000 he was paid before. The federation also agreed to cover the salaries of his backroom staff, a sticking point that had slowed talks for weeks.
The coach had pushed for a package worth $130,000 monthly, a figure that would also have paid his assistants and met several other conditions. The NFF held firm on $100,000, the ceiling it had publicly described as its limit, and the two parties eventually met there.
Olympic Eagles job added to his duties
Beyond the senior side, Chelle has been handed charge of Nigeria’s U-23 team, the Olympic Eagles, as the country starts planning for the men’s football event at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The federation says the move is designed to build continuity between the two teams.
The idea is simple. Several young players in the U-23 setup are expected to graduate into the Super Eagles over the next few years, and the NFF wants one coaching philosophy guiding both groups. Chelle will now oversee that pipeline directly.
Why the deal matters for Nigeria
Chelle took over a Super Eagles side under pressure and steadied the team through a difficult qualifying run. Keeping him in place gives Nigeria stability heading into a busy stretch that includes the Africa Cup of Nations and the push to remain a force on the continent.
The salary jump also signals how seriously the federation and the National Sports Commission are treating the senior team. Paying the assistants directly removes a long-running source of friction and brings the technical crew under one clear structure.
Fans had grown anxious as the negotiations dragged on, with reports of the coach setting multiple conditions before agreeing to stay. The federation’s leadership pushed back publicly, insisting it would not exceed its budget. The compromise gives both sides something to point to as a win.
The road ahead
With the contract settled, attention now turns to results. Nigerians want their team back among Africa’s best and chasing major trophies again. Chelle’s expanded role means his work will be measured not only by the Super Eagles but by the young talent he develops through the Olympic Eagles.
For now, the federation will hope the new arrangement brings calm after a period of doubt. The coach has the job, the raise and a clear mandate. The next test is on the pitch, where the Super Eagles must prove the investment was worth it.
The Eric Chelle contract decision closes one chapter and opens another, with the coach now central to both Nigeria’s present and its football future.
