Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Gusau has given Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle the ultimatum to guide the team to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final in Morocco, or the experiment will be deemed a failure.
Speaking on Eagle FM, as shared on X, Gusau outlined the expectations placed on the Malian tactician, who was handed the reins of Nigerian football amid controversy and scepticism just weeks ago.
“The mandate given to Eric Chelle is to get to the AFCON final,” Gusau declared, leaving no room for ambiguity about what constitutes success for the 47-year-old coach.
The appointment of Chelle raised eyebrows across Nigerian football. A relatively unknown quantity on the international stage, the former Mali assistant coach and Djoliba AC manager was chosen over several high-profile candidates who had been linked with the position.
Now, with AFCON 2025 on the horizon in Morocco, Gusau has made it crystal clear that anything short of a final appearance will not be acceptable. It’s a bold mandate that reflects both the NFF’s ambition and the immense pressure on a coach still finding his feet with a squad blessed with talent but hungry for silverware.
Nigeria last reached an AFCON final in 2013, when they defeated Burkina Faso to lift their third continental crown. Since then, the Super Eagles have endured a frustrating run of near-misses and underachievement on the African stage, including a disappointing group-stage exit at AFCON 2021 and a second-place finish in 2023 that ended in heartbreak against Cote d’Ivoire.
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