The demand for a huge pay rise is only a ploy by Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle to blackmail Nigeria and if the country fell for it, they will regret it.
This is according to former Gombe FA chairman Shuaibu Gara-Gombe.
Eric Chelle has asked to be paid $130,000, a massive jump from the $50,000 he currently earns.
Gara-Gombe said this demand is unacceptable.
“Chelle is simply lucky that we win matches thanks to the players’ talent, and not his influence,” he told The Guardian.
“We trained him as a coach. We made him an indispensable figure, and now he wants to blackmail us.
“If we keep him for that amount, Nigeria will regret it.”
“I don’t find that acceptable,” he added.
“This man came to Nigeria solely to enhance his resume. As I’ve said before, the Super Eagles are too important for Chelle.”
He also said the coach made up the story that Olympique Marseille are interested in hiring him.
“It is now clear that Chelle fabricated a story about Olympique de Marseille, claiming they were interested in him,” he accused.
Eric Chelle, 48, is halfway through a two-year contract.
He led the Super Eagles to place third at the recent 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
