President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has disclosed that Super Eagles Head Coach, Eric Chelle, is fully committed to the national team and believes he can achieve his coaching ambitions with Nigeria.

 

Gusau made the remarks in a recent interview, where he addressed growing speculation about interest in Chelle from other teams following the Super Eagles’ impressive performances in recent competitions.

 

According to the NFF boss, Chelle remains focused on his current contract with Nigeria, which still has one year to run, and is not distracted by external interest.

 

“The key thing is that I know Coach Eric believes in the Super Eagles and he believes that he can achieve whatever he wants to achieve in his career, especially with the national team within the African continent,” Gusau said.

 

“We still have a one-year contract with Eric Chelle, and therefore, whatever interest anybody must have shown in him, they have to wait until his contract expires.”

 

Gusau emphasized that financial incentives alone would not determine the coach’s future, noting that Chelle is driven more by the desire for success than monetary gain.

 

“It’s not about the money. The dream of every coach is to achieve success, especially in major tournaments. If he goes elsewhere for more money, will he have the materials available to him to get results? That’s the question,” he said.

 

He added that Chelle enjoys working with Nigeria and has repeatedly expressed confidence in achieving his professional goals with the Super Eagles.

 

“Eric is part of the Super Eagles and he continues to be part of the Super Eagles. We believe in him, and when the time comes, we will make Nigerians know the way forward,” Gusau stated.

 

The NFF president credited Chelle’s leadership for the noticeable transformation in the Super Eagles, particularly at the just-concluded Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Although Nigeria did not lift the trophy, Gusau highlighted significant improvements in tactical discipline and attacking intensity.

 

“When you review the Nations Cup, you see a lot of changes in tactical play. We were one of the highest goal-scoring teams in the tournament and lost only one match. That shows serious improvement,” he noted.

 

Gusau also commended the Federal Government and the National Sports Commission for their support, describing collaboration as key to the team’s progress.

 

Looking ahead, he assured Nigerians that more improvements are expected, particularly with the integration of young talents into the squad. He explained that plans to test new players in friendly matches during the November window were disrupted due to playoff commitments.

 

“It is not always easy to introduce new players in a big tournament. But going forward, we have match windows and we will give the coach the opportunity to bring in and inject new young players into the team,” he said.

 

Gusau concluded by urging Nigerians to remain optimistic, assuring fans that the recent progress is only the beginning of greater achievements under Chelle’s leadership.