The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed reports suggesting that Eric Chelle is set to leave his position as head coach of the Nigeria national football team to take up a managerial role in Morocco.
Speculation about Chelle’s future intensified after reports from Moroccan media outlet Le7TV, cited by ScoreNigeria, claimed the 48-year-old tactician was close to finalising a deal with Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca.
However, the NFF has firmly refuted the claim, describing it as false and urging the public to disregard the story.
In a statement issued to journalists on Tuesday morning, the Super Eagles media officer clarified the situation, stating that Chelle remains in charge of the national team.
“Good day friends and colleagues. Kindly ignore this story. It is fake news,” the statement read, in response to the report that had circulated online.
The clarification appears to end the speculation surrounding Chelle’s future with the Super Eagles. Questions about his position had surfaced following Nigeria’s third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Following the continental tournament, the former Mali national football team coach attracted interest from several clubs and national teams, including French side Olympique de Marseille, as well as national teams such as Tunisia national football team and Angola national football team.
Despite the NFF’s assurance that Chelle will continue in his role, discussions between the coach and the federation are still ongoing.
The Franco-Malian tactician is understood to have proposed new terms and conditions to the federation as part of his continued stay with the team.
It remains unclear whether the NFF will accept the revised conditions, but Chelle is expected to lead the Super Eagles in their upcoming international engagements later this month.
Nigeria are scheduled to play friendly matches against the Jordan national football team and the Iran national football team.
However, the proposed clash with Iran could be cancelled due to the escalating tensions and conflict in the Middle East.
For now, the NFF’s statement confirms that Chelle remains firmly in charge as preparations continue for the Super Eagles’ next set of fixtures.