Eric Chelle has returned to Nigeria as preparations intensify for the Super Eagles’ 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, while the coach continues to search for young players who could contribute to the country’s Olympic plans.
The Franco-Malian coach was seen in Abuja attending the ongoing CAF A Coaching Course, alongside other coaches and football stakeholders taking part in the programme.
Chelle’s return comes as Nigeria prepares for upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau. At the same time, he is working on plans for the Olympic Eagles as the country looks towards the qualifying campaign for the 2028 Olympic football tournament.
The coach is expected to attend an NPFL match this week as part of an ongoing domestic scouting exercise. The visit will give Chelle an opportunity to assess players under the age of 23 who are competing in Nigeria’s top-flight league.
Monitoring the domestic game has been a significant part of Chelle’s approach as he looks for players who could progress from the Nigerian league to international football.
His search is not limited to home-based footballers. Players based overseas are also being monitored as Nigeria works towards building a broader group of options for the Olympic Eagles ahead of the qualifying campaign.
The scouting programme comes with Chelle balancing two separate priorities: preparing the senior national side for its immediate AFCON commitments while identifying younger players who could become part of Nigeria’s longer-term international setup.
One of the opportunities to assess those younger players could come in an international friendly against Russia.
An October 6 meeting with Russia has been proposed, with a squad made up largely of U-23 players reportedly being considered for the fixture. Such an arrangement would give Chelle the chance to examine emerging talent at international level without taking his established Super Eagles players away from their preparations for the AFCON qualifiers.
The proposed friendly could therefore provide an additional stage for players competing for places in the Olympic setup to demonstrate their abilities.
Chelle’s presence at NPFL matches is also expected to increase the opportunities for domestic-based footballers to come to the attention of the national-team coaches. Those players will be competing for recognition alongside Nigerian footballers who are developing their careers abroad.
The focus on younger players comes as Nigeria attempts to prepare for the next Olympic qualifying cycle while maintaining attention on the senior team’s immediate competitive commitments.
For Chelle, the two programmes are developing alongside each other. The Super Eagles face the more immediate task of preparing for their qualifying fixtures against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, while work is also beginning on the group of players who could form the Olympic Eagles.
His return to Nigeria consequently gives him an opportunity to combine preparations for the senior side with closer observation of the country’s domestic talent.
The coming weeks are expected to be important for both assignments, with Chelle continuing his scouting work in the NPFL and monitoring players based overseas.
The proposed Russia friendly could then provide another opportunity to assess younger footballers, while the established Super Eagles squad focuses on the AFCON qualifying campaign.
Chelle’s current programme is therefore centred on both the present and future of Nigerian international football: preparing the senior team for its approaching fixtures and widening the pool of young players available for the country’s Olympic plans.
