“He is a businessman” – Ex-Super Eagles star tips Chelle to quit Nigeria for Tunisia after AFCON run

Former Super Eagles goalkeeper Peterside Idah believes Eric Chelle is likely to walk away from his role as Nigeria’s head coach in the coming days, Soccernet.ng reports.

This is as Tunisia have emerged as a serious and well-funded suitor for Chelle’s services following the Malian’s impressive Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

Chelle was appointed just over a year ago on a contract that included the option of a one-year extension if he guided Nigeria to qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

That objective, however, slipped out of reach after the Super Eagles failed to secure a place through both the automatic qualification route and the continental play-offs.

Despite that setback, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) kept faith with the former Mali coach and allowed him to lead the team to the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, which kicked off in December. What followed was a run that significantly changed perceptions about Chelle’s work and the direction of the team.

Nigeria began the tournament in electrifying fashion, winning their first five matches, scoring a competition-high 14 goals and keeping two clean sheets along the way. The Super Eagles, long criticised for inconsistency and blunt attacking play, suddenly looked like one of the most exciting and aggressive sides in the competition.

That impressive run carried them all the way to the semi-finals, where they were eventually stopped by tournament hosts Morocco after a tense, goalless draw that was decided by penalties. The defeat ended Chelle’s dream of lifting the trophy with Nigeria, but it also confirmed his reputation as one of the standout coaches of the tournament.

His stock has risen sharply since then. Several countries, including Angola, Guinea and Tunisia, are now believed to be monitoring his situation closely, with Tunisia reportedly moving fastest and most decisively.

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Chelle to quit Super Eagles for World Cup temptation and a $100,000 offer?

While the NFF are understood to be keen on keeping Chelle, reports suggest Tunisia are prepared to make a powerful financial and sporting argument.

The North African giants have allegedly put a $100,000-per-month offer on the table, a figure said to be more than double what he currently earns in Nigeria.

Beyond the money, there is another major attraction: Tunisia have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup. For a coach, that represents both a job security and a priceless addition to his résumé.

Speaking to Channels TV, Peterside Idah made it clear he would not be surprised if Chelle chose to leave.

“Kudos must go to the coach (Eric Chelle),” Idah said. “He took this team when the spirit was low but he has raised a team. I hear he wants to go to Tunisia and a friend asked me, ‘Would he go to Tunisia?’ I said, ‘Yes’.

“He is a businessman and they have offered him a $100,000 per month.

“Not just that, he will make a name. And that name is being a coach of a World Cup side. It's the highest level of coaching anywhere in the world, that you coached a team to the World Cup. So, I think he would go, if the offer we are hearing is good.”

For now, Chelle has not made any public statement about his future. The 48-year-old has often spoken warmly about the Super Eagles and has previously revealed that he has followed and supported Nigeria since the 1998 World Cup in France.

His immediate focus, however, remains on Nigeria’s third-place play-off against Egypt, where the Super Eagles will try to end their AFCON campaign on a high by claiming the bronze medal.