Sodje faults Chelle dual Super Eagles and U-23 role ahead of November clash
Former Super Eagles defender Sam Sodje called Eric Chelle managing both the senior side and Olympic Eagles a "ridiculous idea", urging the incoming NFF board to separate the jobs before the 13 and 17 November double window.
By Emily · 29 Oct 2026, 10:25 WAT
Former Super Eagles defender Sam Sodje has criticised the arrangement that leaves Éric Chelle in charge of both Nigeria's senior national team and the Olympic Eagles, calling it a "ridiculous idea" in a Brila FM interview reported by The Nation, Sports247 and Afrik-Foot on 28–29 October.
"I cannot imagine anywhere in the world where you have the same manager managing the national team and the Olympic team at the same time," Sodje said, in quotes carried by The Nation. "Especially in Nigeria right now, when the Super Eagles are struggling to qualify for the AFCON and he is not even doing too well." He added that accepting both jobs "shows you how average he is" and that Nigeria has "so many young managers out there who can do the job."
Chelle was appointed Super Eagles head coach in January 2025. The National Sports Commission and NFF later handed him oversight of the under-23 side as part of a pathway plan, Afrik-Foot reported, citing the June arrangement. Nation's report puts Chelle's senior record at 16 wins, nine draws and two losses in 27 matches, including a World Cup playoff exit to DR Congo on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
The calendar makes Sodje's argument concrete for Nigerian readers. Soccernet reported on 27 October that the Super Eagles host Tanzania in Uyo on 13 November and travel to Dar es Salaam on 17 November in AFCON 2027 qualifying, while the Olympic Eagles face DR Congo on the same two days — first leg at TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi on 13 November, return at Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne on 17 November. The NFF has acknowledged the shared international window but has not said who will sit on which bench.
Nigeria sit second in Group L on three points after a 2-1 win over Madagascar and a 3-0 defeat in Bissau, with Guinea-Bissau on six and co-hosts Tanzania already through on one point, Soccernet's group notes said. Sodje wants the incoming NFF board to separate the roles so Chelle "should be concentrating on the Super Eagles at the moment," Sports247 reported, while recalling the 1996 Atlanta Dream Team gold as proof the Olympic side needs dedicated coaching.
TuSport is not predicting who starts or who wins in November. The desk takeaway is structural: one coach cannot stand in Uyo and Lubumbashi on the same day, and Sodje has put that clash — not a generic dual-role rant — in front of the new board before the first whistle on 13 November.
Sources: thenationonlineng.net · www.sports247.ng · www.afrik-foot.com · soccernet.ng
