Akor Adams equalised in the 94th minute in Nizhny Novgorod on 6 October. Russia 3-3 Nigeria. Eric Chelle walked into his briefing smiling. “So, the state of mind of my team was very good, I'm proud of my players,” he told reporters, as our report from Nizhny Novgorod recorded.
A week later, the talk was about his own deal.
| Eric Chelle | At a glance |
|---|---|
| Age | 48 (born 11 November 1977, Abidjan) |
| Nationality | Malian international, raised in France |
| Appointed | 7 January 2025 by the NFF |
| Contract | Current deal runs to January 2027; new terms unsigned as of mid-October 2026 |
| Reported salary | $75,000 a month under the new deal (about ₦100m), per The News Chronicle |
| Key results | AFCON 2025 bronze; lost 2026 World Cup play-off final to DR Congo on penalties |
From Martigues to the Super Eagles bench
Chelle was born in Abidjan and grew up in France. He played his whole career there as a centre-back, with Martigues, Valenciennes, Lens, Istres and Chamois Niortais. Mali capped him five times between 2004 and 2006.
Coaching began at GS Consolat, then four years in charge of Martigues from 2017 to 2021 and a short stay at Boulogne. Mali hired him in 2022. At the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d'Ivoire his side led the hosts in the quarter-final before losing 2-1 after extra time, and he was dismissed in June 2024, leaving him a few months at Algerian club MC Oran before the Nigeria Football Federation unveiled him on 7 January 2025.
What Eric Chelle's salary is reported to be
Neither the NFF nor the National Sports Commission has published a figure. Every number here is what an outlet reported at the time.
On 9 January 2025, Prime Business Africa put his pay at $55,000 a month. Two assistants were on $5,000 each. He had reportedly taken a pay cut to leave MC Oran.
By December the question was whether he was being paid at all. An NFF official told OwnGoal, as relayed by Legit.ng on 10 December, that “the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is not responsible for the payment of Chelle's salary”, pointing to the NSC. He said two months were owed, not three.
Then came the leak.
In February 2026, documents setting out a reported $130,000 monthly request and 19 conditions reached the media. Chelle did not deny they were genuine. “Honestly, what surprises me most is how this document ended up in the media,” he said, according to Africa Soccer on 27 February.
In June, Afrik-Foot reported a rise from $50,000 to $100,000 a month. The federation would also pay his technical assistants and hand him the Under-23 side for Los Angeles 2028.
The latest figure is lower. The News Chronicle reported on 13 October 2026 that the authorities had agreed $75,000 a month, and Afrik-Foot carried the same number the next day. At the official rate of ₦1,332.99 to the dollar on 12 October, Central Bank of Nigeria data reported by Nairametrics, that comes to roughly ₦99.97m a month, or about ₦1.2bn over a year before bonuses.
Compare that with the Super Falcons coach's salary.
The results behind the numbers
Chelle inherited a World Cup campaign in trouble. Nigeria finished second in Group C on 17 points, one behind South Africa. That meant the CAF play-offs in Morocco in November 2025.
Even that week had off-field noise. Legit.ng reported on 9 November that he had argued with the NFF over a 24th player; the federation wanted 23 “to save cost”. His side then beat Gabon 4-1 after extra time in Rabat, Victor Osimhen scoring twice, but three days later DR Congo held them 1-1 and won the shoot-out 4-3, ending Nigeria's hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup.
Out.
The AFCON in Morocco went better. Nigeria drew 0-0 with Egypt in the third-place play-off and won 4-2 on penalties. Bronze. “The players gave everything for me, for the coaching staff, and for the country,” Chelle said.
The 2027 qualifiers have been bumpier: a 2-1 comeback win over Madagascar in Uyo on 25 September, then a 3-0 defeat in Bissau four days later.
Where the contract stands in October 2026
The delay is tied to the federation's upheaval. Ibrahim Gusau resigned as NFF president on 27 August 2026 and advised his board to follow, Al Jazeera reported. An interim general secretary, Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, now runs affairs. According to The News Chronicle, Chelle is frustrated that the NSC has yet to invite him to conclude the agreement. He wants it done before Tanzania.
That double-header starts in Uyo on 11 November, his 49th birthday, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium. The return comes four days later.
Our view
A national team coach should not walk into a must-win qualifier with his paperwork still on someone's desk. The shifting figures, from $55,000 to a reported $100,000 and now $75,000, say as much about how Nigerian football negotiates in public as about what Chelle is worth to the Super Eagles. He has a bronze medal and a World Cup near miss. Six points against Tanzania would strengthen his hand before the next round of talks, while anything less, with the federation still without an elected board and supporters already restless after Bissau, would leave him bargaining from a far weaker position.
This article was most recently revised and updated 8 seconds ago
