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Nine important things to know about Eric Chelle who has been rumoured to be in line for the Super Eagles job.
Eric Chelle Profile
Full name: Éric Sékou Chelle
Date of Birth: November 11, 1977
Nationality: Malian and French
Place of birth: Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Age: 46 years old (as of August 2024)
Position: (Rtd) centre-back, Mali manager
Height: 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Who is Eric Chelle
Eric Chelle is a retired Mali international and was recently the head coach of Les Aigles before he was fired in June 2024. He was a centre-back in his playing career and got into coaching after retiring.
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Eric Chelle nationality
He was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, to a French father and a Malian mother, making him French-Malian.
Eric Chelle playing career
Chelle was a dominant centre-back whose aerial abilities and leadership skills stood out.
He began his playing career at French side Martigues, who now compete in Ligue 2. He left the club in 2003 before joining another French side, Valenciennes, where he spent the majority of his career.
He had 121 appearances for the club, according to TransferMarkt, scoring 10 goals, before leaving for RC Lens in 2008, where he recorded 87 appearances in his four years at the club.
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He went on to play for lower-division French sides Istres and Chamois Niortais, where he retired. Chelle spent his entire club career in France.
Eric Chelle career for Mali
The 46-year-old was eligible to play for France and Mali. He represented Les Aigles on the international stage, recording five CAPs from 2004–2006.
Eric Chelle coaching career
Immediately after retiring from his playing career in 2014, Chelle ventured into coaching. He cut his teeth at GS Consolat as an assistant manager from 2014–2016, before he was promoted to head coach. He was head coach for only a year and joined FC Martigues, his boyhood club, in 2017.
He was Martigues coach from 2017–2021, and in May 2021, he was announced as head coach of US Boulogne. He was fired seven months later after a run of poor results in which they amassed a paltry three points in ten games.
Chelle landed the Mali job in 2022 and was in charge until June 13, 2024, when he was fired.
Chelle as Mali’s head coach
He was head coach of Mali for 21 games and had an impressive record of 2.10 points per game, as he won 13 of the games at the helm with five draws, only losing three matches.
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Eric Chelle AFCON 2023 meme
Chelle became a viral meme during the 2023 African Cup of Nations after his astonishing reaction to Mali conceding a late winner to Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals.
They navigated the group stage of the competition admirably and dispatched an impressive Burkina Faso side 2-1 in the Round of 16.
They faced the eventual winners, Ivory Coast, in the quarter-finals and looked set to run away victors in the stiffly contested clash, thanks to Dorgeles Nene's strike in the 71st minute of the match.
With the clock winding down, Simon Adingra shocked Mali, scoring in the 90th minute to force extra-time. Ivory Coast has a flair for the dramatic throughout the competition, and after scoring late to equalise, they scored another late goal as the winner.
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Oumar Diakhite around the 120th-minute mark to win the game for Cote d'Ivoire, leading an exasperated Chelle to a reaction that took the internet by storm.
Chelle was so distraught by the Diakhite’s goal that his assistant had to pour water on his scalp in an attempt to cool him down. The clip became a viral meme during and after the competition.
Eric Chelle Super Eagles link
As Pulse Sports reported, Chelle was said to have been handed the reins of the Nigerian national team. Following the resignation of Finidi George, the NFF have searched tirelessly for a replacement.
A report claimed that the Nigerian minister for sports development, John Enoh, had opted for Chelle and met with him to hand him the job. It was also reported that he will guide the Super Eagles through their upcoming international fixtures in September.
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Report debunked
When the report hit the internet, the senior assistant to the minister of sports development, Diana-Mary Tiku Nsan, immediately debunked it, stating that it was fake news. This means that the federation’s search for a new coach rages on, on Chelsea remains jobless.
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