Eric Chelle: Ex-Watford coach overtakes Super Eagles boss in race for Algeria job

Eric Chelle's chances of becoming the next coach of the Desert Foxes of Algeria has dipped following latest developments in the North African country, soccernet.ng/wp/ reports.

The Algeria FA continues their search for a new national team coach with former Watford assistant coach Karim Belhocine emerging as the leading candidate to replace Vladimir Petkovic, according to AfricaFoot. This comes just days after reports linked Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle with the vacancy following Algeria's disappointing exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Petkovic is still officially Algeria's coach, but pressure has continued to grow after the Desert Foxes were knocked out of the World Cup by Switzerland. The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) is expected to discuss his future during a federal bureau meeting, although reports suggest preparations for a possible coaching change are already underway.

Belhocine has quickly moved into pole position to become Algeria's next coach after impressing FAF officials with his coaching experience in Belgium and his knowledge of Algerian football.

The 48-year-old French-Algerian coach recently signed as the new head coach of Algerian Ligue 1 giants JS Kabylie, officially taking charge on July 4. Belhocine built his reputation during spells with Anderlecht, where he served as assistant coach and caretaker manager on several occasions. He also managed Charleroi and KV Kortrijk, gaining experience in the Belgian Pro League and European competitions. Most recently in his coaching career, he worked as an assistant at English club Watford.

According to Algerian newspaper El Khabar, the FAF believes Belhocine's UEFA Pro Licence, tactical knowledge and understanding of both European and Algerian football make him an attractive candidate.

Eric Chelle interest cools in Algeria

Before Belhocine emerged as the leading candidate, Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle was strongly linked with the Algeria job.

Reports from Europe claimed the FAF had contacted the Franco-Malian coach after becoming frustrated with Petkovic's performance during the World Cup, including tactical decisions made in Algeria's defeat to Switzerland. Chelle's agent, Jibril Oualane, was also reportedly seen in Algeria for preliminary discussions.

Chelle appealed to Algerian officials because of his growing reputation in African football. He guided Mali to the quarter-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations before taking over Nigeria and leading the Super Eagles to a third-place finish at the 2025 AFCON. His previous experience as coach of Algerian club MC Oran also means he understands the country's football culture.

Despite that interest, several obstacles make a move to Algeria increasingly unlikely.

Chelle remains under contract with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), which is reportedly finalising a long-term contract extension that would keep him in charge until 2030. The proposed agreement is expected to double his monthly salary from $50,000 to $100,000 while also giving him greater authority across Nigeria's national team structure.

Under the reported plans, Chelle would not only remain head coach of the Super Eagles but also oversee the country's Under-23 Olympic team and play a bigger role in Nigeria's long-term football development.

Chelle was appointed last year January but failed to lead the Super Eagles to the 2026 World Cup despite impressing with several positive results across his first 18 months in charge.