Victor Osimhen has backed Eric Chelle to stay on as the head coach of the Super Eagles on a long-term basis amid uncertainty over his future, SportPremi reports.
Osimhen, 27, has enjoyed a remarkable time at the national team under the Franco-Malian and had an impressive tournament at the 2025 African Cup of Nations tournament.
The Super Eagles forward scored four times in Morocco and only finished one goal behind golden boot winner Brahim Diaz.
The former Napoli striker’s importance has grown more since the arrival of Chelle in January 2025 and he has profited from a change in formation, which has also increased his output for the national team.
Chelle’s future has been up in the air since the conclusion of the AFCON tournament, with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) yet to announce a contract extension despite having just few months left in his current contract.
The 48-year-old has also received offers from multiple African countries, including Tunisia, Mali and Angola, who have all offered him enticing offers to leave the Super Eagles.
For now, Chelle remains the head coach of the Nigerian national team, although his contract situation will become clearer over the course of the coming months.
Osimhen throws weight behind Chelle
Victor Osimhen, who continued his goalscoring streak in Galatasaray’s 3-0 win at Rizespor on Sunday in the Turkish league, believes the former Mali head coach is the best option to lead the Super Eagles to glory.
“In three, four, or even 10 years, we will see his greatness and, of course, we will achieve more with that”, the Galatasaray striker revealed.
“There’s really more to come, and I’m happy to be one of the leaders. The Super Eagles really have more in store for themselves and their fans.
With the kind of players that we currently have, plus those who are still going to come and join us, we will have a better Super Eagles. I think we’ve got a bunch of talent already, and we still have many new players coming up from all around the world.
The coach is not over-demanding. So, every player is ready to give their best for him. He’s also a very amazing person, and I like him a lot,” the striker continued.
“I like his mentality also. He pushes us a lot in training and during the game. Outside the pitch, he embraces us and laughs with us. He is friendly with the players and his coaching staff.”
Osimhen will be back in action for Galatasaray when they face Eyupspor in the Turkish league on Friday, hoping to continue his goalscoring form.
