Newly appointed Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle witnessed a thrilling 3-2 victory by the home-based Super Eagles against Sunshine Stars in a friendly match on Tuesday, Soccernet.ng reports.
Chelle arrived in Nigeria on Sunday from his base in Algeria and was officially unveiled as the Super Eagles head coach on Monday in Abuja.
Alongside his primary role of guiding Nigeria to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Malian tactician has also been tasked with overseeing the development of the home-based Super Eagles.
The team has been camped in Ikenne, Ogun State, in preparation for the postponed 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Following his unveiling, Chelle, in line with the directives of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Gusau, traveled to Ikenne to meet with the team.
Accompanied by NFF Technical Director Augustine Eguavoen, Chelle was introduced to the Super Eagles B coaching duo of Daniel Ogunmodede and Fidelis Ilechukwu.
After a warm welcome from the players and staff, the team showed their readiness in an exciting friendly encounter against Sunshine Stars of Akure, Ondo State.
Goals from Isaac Saviour, Anas Yusuf, and Ikouwem Utin sealed a 3-2 victory for the home-based Eagles. Watching closely from the sidelines, Chelle applauded the goals and performances of both teams.
Meanwhile, assistant coaches Ilechukwu and Ogunmodede have expressed their commitment to supporting Chelle.
Appointed as assistants last August when Eguavoen briefly served as interim head coach, both coaches will remain in charge of the home-based Super Eagles despite Chelle’s arrival with his own technical team.
Writing on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Ilechukwu said:
“My humble self and my colleagues were so excited to receive our boss, Eric Chelle yesterday in Ikenne.
“As we continue to grow as coaches & work for the best interest of Nigeria, I’m ready to learn from the boss and support him. Welcome to Nigeria Coach Eric.”
Also on his X (formerly Twitter) page, coach Ogunmodede wrote:
“I am extremely excited to receive our esteemed National Team Coach, Éric Sékou Chelle, to the CHAN training camp as we continue to prepare for success with the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
“Alongside the rest of the crew, we extend our best wishes to our Head Coach for an inspiring and successful journey ahead.”
In the short term, the Super Eagles B might halt their camping preparations following the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to postpone CHAN 2024.
Initially set to begin on February 1, the tournament has been rescheduled to August to allow host nations Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to improve infrastructure.
However, the draw for CHAN 2024 took place on Wednesday, January 15, in Kenya. Nigeria, returning to the competition for the first time since 2018, will face defending champions Senegal, Sudan, and Congo in the group stage.
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