Gara Gombe, the former chairman of Gombe Football Association (FA), has sharply criticized the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for appointing Eric Chelle as the new Super Eagles coach. He referred to Chelle as a “kindergarten coach” and expressed concerns about the decision, suggesting that the NFF made a mistake by hiring someone with limited experience to manage a team of high-profile players.

Eric Chelle, a former international player from Mali, was announced as the Super Eagles coach on January 7, 2025. This appointment came after approval from the NFF Executive Committee, based on a recommendation from the NFF’s Technical and Development Sub-Committee. Chelle, 47, has a coaching background with clubs such as GS Consolat, FC Martigues, Boulogne, and MC Oran. He also has five caps for the Mali national team.

Many are now questioning whether Chelle has the right credentials to manage a team like the Super Eagles, who have some of the best footballers in Africa. Gombe’s criticism highlights the growing concerns about whether Chelle’s appointment will live up to the high expectations of the Nigerian football community.

Who is Chelle? Who knows him? What was his antecedent? Nothing. For goodness sake, all this waiting since AFCON in Ivory Coast, we cannot get a coach. “ Gombe told Brila FM

“And we ended up now, after all these years, appointing a kindergarten coach to manage the world-class players that we have. It is really unfortunate”