Former Super Eagles midfielder Duke Udi has backed Eric Chelle’s expanded role within Nigeria’s national teams but believes the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) should appoint a dedicated head coach for the Olympic Eagles instead of asking the Franco-Malian to handle both teams, Footynaija.com reports.
The NFF recently gave Chelle additional responsibilities beyond the Super Eagles as part of plans to improve coordination across Nigeria’s national teams and create a clearer pathway for players moving through the age-grade sides.
While welcoming the decision, Udi said the Olympic Eagles need a coach whose full attention is on the U23 team.
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“Eric Chelle should play an advisory role across all the national teams, but the Olympic Eagles need a coach who is fully focused on that team,” the former Nigeria international said in a report by Sports247.
According to Udi, a dedicated U23 coach would be better placed to monitor players, oversee their development and build continuity, while Chelle provides technical guidance and ensures every national team follows the same football philosophy.
The former Grasshoppers, FC Zürich and Shooting Stars midfielder also praised Chelle’s early work with the Super Eagles, insisting the coach has shown enough to deserve the confidence the NFF has placed in him.
“I congratulate him on the additional responsibility because he has done well so far with the Super Eagles. But every national team should still have its own coach to ensure maximum attention and development,” he added.
The debate over Chelle’s expanded role has continued since the NFF announced the restructuring of the national team setup. The move is aimed at improving continuity between the different age-grade teams after Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
With preparations expected to begin for upcoming Olympic Eagles assignments, Udi believes the best approach is to allow Chelle to oversee the technical direction of Nigeria’s national teams while leaving the day-to-day management of the U23 side to a specialist head coach.
The Olympic Eagles have missed the last two Olympic football tournaments, and the NFF will hope its new structure helps Nigeria return to the men’s football event at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
