Just as the appointment of Eric Chelle as the new Super Eagles coach by the Nigeria Football Federation is still generating mixed reactions from Nigerians, the military Junta in Mali is unhappy with the country’s football association for letting the coach go.
While many Nigerians have not fully come to terms with the quality of the French-born coach, it just seems those who know his qualities are already biting their fingers for not holding on to him.
In Mali, Football fans in the country are bashing the Malian FA after the news broke that the NFF have hired their former coach.
When Eric Chelle left the Malian team after the 2023 AFCON, it was a shock and a big mistake for many Malians and even their players.
In Chelle’s two year stint in Mali, his team played one of the best attacking football any Malian team has ever played and his results were very visible for everyone to see on the continent with 14 wins, 5 draws and just 3 losses in his 22 games in charge.
He was on the verge of leading Mali to a semi-final place at the last AFCON before losing narrowly to the eventual winners and hosts, Cote d’Ivoire in the quarterfinal after extra time.
This was why an average football fan in Mali loves him so much and still found it absurd that he was allowed to go in the manner he left.
It was later that Malians discovered that the reason why he left was because the FA were tired of his toughness and non-interference when it comes to selection of players.
Many top football people in the Malian FA never liked him for this and this was why when the Malia FA announced his departure, the Malian Government persuaded him to come back but he was very reluctant to do so.
And now that the biggest black Nation in Africa , Nigeria appointed him , the reality of the mistake of letting him go last year has suddenly dawned on the Malian Junta once again.
Unfortunately it is too late now because it has been a long-term ambition of Eric Chelle to manage the Super Eagles, who he strongly believes have the best talents on the continent to dominate the AFCON and even make history at the World Cup.
I’m amazed with reactions or comments of some football fans towards his engagement with SE. I strongly believe that Eric Chelle would be a successful Coach in Nigeria unless NFF impede his way to success.
To the best of my knowledge Eric has something tangible in upstair to tinker SE. All I know is that time will tell