How Nigeria ended up with Eric Chelle after coaching rejections

Chelle emerged as the eventual choice only after a series of high-profile coaching targets declined the opportunity to take charge of the Super Eagles following the exit of Finidi George, according to a senior figure within the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as reported by owngoalnigeria.com.

The NFF initially turned to Augustine Eguavoen in an interim capacity while negotiations continued behind the scenes. However, their primary targets proved difficult to secure.

German coach Bruno Labbadia withdrew from the role despite having already been announced, with talks collapsing over salary disagreements just days before the start of the AFCON qualifiers. His decision followed a similar rejection from Janne Andersson, who also opted against taking the job.

Even experienced and highly regarded coach Herve Renard confirmed receiving an attractive offer from Nigeria but ultimately chose to return to manage Saudi Arabia instead.

With options running out, Chelle — who had previously expressed interest in the position — resurfaced as a viable candidate.

"Chelle took over after it was clear that no coach wanted the job. He had submitted his CV earlier and remained in consideration when the NFF approached other coaches," a federation insider revealed.

The source also dismissed claims that NFF president Ibrahim Musa Gusau had orchestrated a bold strategic move in appointing Chelle, suggesting instead that the federation settled for the available option.

While Chelle now leads the Super Eagles into a new chapter, the circumstances surrounding his appointment highlight the challenges the federation faced in attracting top managerial talent — and raise questions about whether results on the pitch will ultimately reshape that narrative.