Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has confirmed he will hold decisive talks with the Nigeria Football Federation regarding his future after the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations  in Morocco.

Chelle, who has faced intense scrutiny amid rumours of a potential sack if he fails to deliver a major trophy, addressed concerns over his job security during his pre-match press conference on Monday. 

Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is believed to have increased pressure on the Malian tactician ahead of his first AFCON tournament in charge.

Speaking at the briefing, Chelle admitted the uncertainty surrounding his tenure but insisted his full attention remains on Nigeria’s opening match of the competition.

“Since I took this job my life with the team is maybe after this game, it is finished,” he said. ‘Like I said earlier, I am only focused on the game, my players, and my officials.”

He stressed that discussions about his contract and long-term future would only take place after the tournament.

“We have a game and I want to stay focused about this game and after the AFCON, for sure, we would have a meeting with my FA, we would talk about everything,” he said. 

“This is not the moment to answer your question, I prefer to answer questions about the game, the tournament, the players, and our game project.”

Chelle reiterated that the immediate priority is Nigeria’s first match, describing it as crucial to setting the tone for their campaign.

“We stay focused on that, we stay focused on the first game because this is the most important game right now.

“To come in this tournament, to show our ambition and after we will have the time to talk about everything.”

Nigeria will begin their AFCON journey on Tuesday evening when they face Tanzania at the Fez Stadium. 

Chelle will be hoping for a strong performance to boost the Super Eagles’ chances of progressing from the group stage and, potentially, strengthen his position as manager.

The Super Eagles are widely expected to contend for the title, and a positive start could ease the pressure on the embattled coach as the tournament gets underway.

Adeyemi Adewale