Chelle’s final Super Eagles dance? Poland, Portugal games could be Malian’s last for Nigeria

Nigeria coach Éric Chelle could be heading into the final months of his Super Eagles reign, with growing signs that the upcoming matches in May and June may be some of his last, Afrik-Foot reports.

The Malian tactician has named two different squads for Nigeria’s busy summer schedule, splitting his plans between the 2026 Unity Cup and high-profile international friendlies against Portugal and Poland.

Chelle’s first squad, built mainly around home-based players and fringe internationals, will compete in the Unity Cup at The Valley in London. Nigeria face Zimbabwe in the semi-final on 26 May before meeting either India or Jamaica in the final or third-place match on 30 May.

The second squad contains Nigeria’s biggest stars for difficult clashes against Poland in Warsaw on 3 June and Portugal in Leiria on 10 June. Players such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey are all in the squad as Chelle prepares for the next stage of Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup and 2027 AFCON qualification journey.

The former Mali coach sees the coming weeks as a chance to solve long-running issues in midfield and defence before Nigeria’s crucial AFCON qualifying campaign begins later this year. Tests against a Poland side blessed with the prolific Robert Lewandowski and a talented Portugal team are expected to provide a strong measure of the Super Eagles’ progress.

Chelle, NFF and Super Eagles contract tension

Although Chelle’s contract officially runs until January 2027, pressure surrounding his future could intensify in the coming weeks following reports of difficult negotiations with the Nigeria Football Federation.

The 47-year-old signed a two-year deal when he took charge in January 2025 and reportedly earns $50,000 monthly. However, after guiding Nigeria to a bronze medal at the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, Chelle submitted a detailed 19-point proposal seeking improved conditions and greater authority.

Among the demands reportedly included in the proposal were a salary increase to $130,000 per month to cover his technical crew, guarantees of non-interference in team selection, a private SUV, security personnel, a chauffeur and uninterrupted electricity supply at his residence for tactical and video analysis work.

The NFF are believed to have countered with a maximum offer of $100,000 monthly, while federation president Ibrahim Gusau previously suggested extension talks were premature because Chelle was only midway through his current contract.

Even Chelle’s camp remains uncertain of what the final decision of the NFF could be after Super Eagles goalkeeper coach, Jean-Daniel Padovani, hinted on Instagram that the coming matches may be the coaching crew’s final assignment with Nigeria.

He wrote: “Off to London, start of training camp with the Nigerian national team to defend our Unity Cup trophy! Matches on the 26th and 30th! Let’s go!

“Last dance or not… we’ll see what the discussions and opportunities are… let’s make the most of it.”

Appointed in January 2025, Chelle’s present contract covers the last half of this year and first part of the 2027 AFCON qualifying series. The Super Eagles have been drawn in a tricky Group L alongside Madagascar, Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau.

Since Tanzania are co-hosts of the tournament and already qualified automatically, only one additional team can advance from the group. That means Nigeria must finish top ahead of Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, leaving very little room for mistakes.

The NFF would be careful to avoid the mistakes of changing coaches midway through a qualifying campaign, an error that was a key factor in Nigeria not reaching the 2026 World Cup.