“Qualifications Better Than Westerhof’s” – Odegbami Likens Eric Chelle to Nigeria’s Most Successful Coach
-
Loading... - Debby Folorunsho
- 13 Jan 2025
- 41 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
Nigerian football legend Segun Odegbami has drawn a compelling comparison between the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) recent appointment of Eric Chelle as the head coach of the Super Eagles and the historic hiring of Clemens Westerhof in 1990. This comparison comes in light of the NFF's surprising decision to appoint the Malian tactician, marking the first time Nigeria has hired an African coach (outside of Nigerian nationals) for its national team.
The announcement of Chelle's appointment on Tuesday caught many Nigerians off guard, especially since the NFF had previously indicated a desire to secure a "world-class" coach for the Super Eagles. Last August, the federation was close to finalizing a deal with former Stuttgart manager and ex-German international Bruno Labbadia, leading to expectations of a high-profile appointment.
Chelle, who has a modest playing career with just five international caps for Mali, holds a UEFA Pro Licence and has managed several lower-league clubs in France. His most notable achievement as a coach was leading Mali to the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) last year.
Despite Chelle's relatively lesser-known status, Odegbami pointed out that Chelle’s qualifications surpass those of Westerhof at the time of his hiring. Westerhof, now celebrated as Nigeria’s most successful coach, had only managed a few Dutch clubs, with his most significant role being assistant manager at Feyenoord before taking the reins of the Super Eagles.
Odegbami noted that Westerhof went on to achieve remarkable success, including leading Nigeria to a second-place finish at AFCON 1990, a third-place finish at AFCON 1992, a historic AFCON victory in 1994, and Nigeria’s first-ever FIFA World Cup qualification that same year.
In his column for The Vanguard, Odegbami stated, “After all, in 1990, when a coach was to be hired for the Nigerian national team, the NFA brought in a man whose qualifications were among the least impressive in Nigeria’s football history.” He continued, “Eric Chelle’s qualifications are statistically a notch higher than Westerhof’s in 1990. Is the NFF trying to emulate the Westerhof model? Could that be the thinking behind this decision? Only time—and the next few months—will reveal the answer.”
The NFF has scheduled Chelle’s official unveiling for Monday at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja, where his assistants will also be introduced. Chelle’s immediate task will be to secure Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Super Eagles are set to resume their qualifying campaign in March with crucial Matchday 5 and 6 fixtures.
As the football community watches closely, the success of Eric Chelle as head coach will be measured against the backdrop of Nigeria's rich football history and the high expectations that come with leading the Super Eagles.
