Super Eagles forward Umar Sadiq has expressed confidence in the abilities of Nigeria’s new head coach, Eric Chelle.
The former Mali coach took the reins as the new coach of the three-time African champions earlier this month, following his resignation from Algerian club Mouloudia Oran.
Chelle's appointment has sparked considerable criticism among Nigerian football fans, many of whom question the 47-year-old's competence and technical expertise.
Drawing inspiration from Chelle’s impressive work with the Mali national team, the towering forward believes the coach’s tactical approach can elevate the Super Eagles to new heights and make them formidable contenders on the international stage.
Sadiq highlights Chelle's tactical brilliance and potential impact on Super Eagles
Sadiq, in a recent interview, expressed confidence in the abilities of the new Super Eagles manager to revolutionise the team's playing style.
The Valencia forward believes Chelle’s tactical approach, inspired by his success with Mali, could elevate the Super Eagles to greater heights.
“You can see what he did in the last AFCON. Everyone was thinking that Mali were also among the favourites,” Sadiq said during an interview with Sporty TV.
“You can see how they played. They were so good but they got knocked out in the quarterfinals because sometimes it is not the best that wins.
“But I can tell you I watched a lot of games of Mali because I have a teammate there. And you can see how they play. You can see the coach (Chelle) has a lot of things.
“I think with the way he plays, if he brings it to Nigeria, the way he plays in Mali, if he brings the type of play to Nigeria, I think we will go a long way forward.”
Chelle's primary responsibility will be to guide the Super Eagles through March's 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
