Eric Chelle: Get Insights on his Coaching Career, Tactics, Trophies, Family & Wife

Home

Football Players

Éric Chelle Bio

Éric Chelle

Nigeria |

Contract Until: Jan 1, 2027

Compare

overview stats

Profile

Nationality

Mali

Place of Birth

-- --

Date of Birth

Nov 11, 1977

Age

Gender

male

Preferred Formation

4-2-3-1

Points Per Match

1.94

Tactical Style

-- --

Career Performance

53.13%

34.38%

12.5%

Win %

Draw %

Lost %

Career Summary

Éric Chelle, currently coaching Mali and Nigeria, has led Nigeria to 24 matches with 9 wins, 12 draws, and 3 losses, maintaining a 1.63 points-per-match rate. Upcoming fixtures include key matches against Benin and Tunisia, highlighting his crucial role in Nigeria’s football strategy. His tactical approach continues to shape the team’s performance.

Career Table

Team/Club

From

Matches

Points/Match

Win %

Nigeria

Nov 2023

Aug 2025

1.63

37.50%

Mali

May 2022

Aug 2024

1.5

33.33%

Average Possession

( last 5 matches )

51% Average Possession Percentage

Current Season Stats

Matches

-- --

Wins

-- --

Draw

-- --

Lost

-- --

Points Per Match

NaN

Win Percentage

NaN%

Yellow Card

-- --

Red Card

-- --

Aniruddh PramanikPublished : Oct 08, 2025, 06:46 PM

Add

As Preferred Source

As the Nigeria National Football Team fights hard in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers to secure a place in the main event next year, all the spotlight seems to have been fixed on the country's manager, Eric Chelle. The former Mali centre-back has been going through a tough time since taking charge of the Super Eagles in January this year. Why? Due to recent poor form, the country has been placed in a complex position in the World Cup qualifiers' points table. In case you are wondering what Eric Chelle age is, then we have got you covered.
Having replaced the former Nigeria coach, Austin Eguavoen, Eric Chelle began his journey with a comfortable victory. But three draws against three different opponents and a defeat against arch-rivals South Africa have almost shattered the Super Eagles' World Cup dream. Also, there is a rumour of his immediate sacking in Nigeria at the moment. Due to these current situations, the former Mali National Team coach is in the limelight, generating a lot of interest in him amongst the fans in Africa. On that note, we bring you everything about him, including Eric Chelle teams coached, his life, net worth, family, salary and wife.

Eric Chelle Bio

Eric Chelle height is 1.75 m, a tall physique that helped him thrive as a defender.

Full name	Éric Sékou Chelle
Gender	Male
Date of Birth	November 11, 1977
Age	47
Nationality	Malian, French
Place of Birth	Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Height	1.82 m
Current Team	Nigeria (Head Coach)
Religion	Islam
Zodiac Sign	Scorpio
Weight	78 kg
Relationship Status	Married
Wife	Clara Chelle
Children	NA

Eric Chelle Manager Career

The Ivory Coast-born defender didn't waste much time to begin his role as a coach after hanging up his boots. He joined the French Championnat National side GS Consolat as an assistant manager in 2014. And from then everything has gone upward for him. His two-year hard work as a shadow coach earned him his first full-time job on the sidelines in the club in 2016. Chelle truly got to utilise his coaching mettle with FC Martigues. But, the former Mali International craved for more.
Eric Chelle manager career wrote a new chapter when he joined US Boulogne in 2021. But what was meant to be a stepping stone in his journey turned out to be a disaster. Three points in 10 games led to his early exit. Learning valuable lessons in coaching career, Chelle embarked on a new journey as the manager of the Mali International Team in 2022. Result? Mali reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Now, Eric Chelle manager of Super Eagles, is a rising star on the sidelines despite some ups and downs.

Eric Chelle Teams Coached

Eric Chelle is still on the move as a coach and is navigating through a learning phase. He has managed four football clubs so far, mostly in lower tiers except MC Oran, which is the top division side of Algeria. Internationally, Nigeria is his second pick after Mali so far.

Clubs / Country Coached	Tenure	Games Managed	Win %	Achievements
Nigeria National Team	2025 – Present	5*	60%	Unity Cup 2025
MC Oran	2024	12	41%	-
Mali	2022 – 2024	23	48%	AFCON 2023 Quarterfinals
US Boulogne	2021	10	10%	-
FC Martigues	2017 – 2021	80	44%	Youth development
GS Consolat	2016 – 2017	30	53%	-

Eric Chelle Tactics & Style of Play

Eric Chelle tactics are heavily dependent on the mix of orthodox and modern transitional styles of play. He doesn't believe in possession-based football. As much as the Nigeria manager likes to follow the dynamism and physicality of African football, he also prefers structured teamwork. His style of play always evolves around 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 formations, with the former mostly coming into effect recently. His team, Super Eagles might not be flamboyant, but they are unified and intelligent and prefer to stay deep in the field and depend on transitional play.

Eric Chelle Trophies & Achievements

There is no record of Eric Chelle Trophies count when he was a player. However, the Nigerian manager has lifted one title in the form of the Unity Cup in 2025.

Competition	Title	Year of Winning
Unity Cup	Winners	2025 (Nigeria)

Sports Career of Eric Chelle

The sports career of Eric Chelle shows that he has not been able to achieve an elite status as a player. The Ivorian-born player spent most of his career in France, playing for a few regional and Ligue 1 clubs in the country. He was an influential centre-back for Valenciennes and Martigues. But what you think of as a successful career of a footballer never occurred in his life. His highest career moment was to feature for Lens for over three years. Chelle represented Mali in international football on five occasions.

Clubs	Tenure	Goals	Assists
Chamois Niortais	1997–1999	0	-
FC Martigues	1999–2003	4	-
Valenciennes FC	2003–2007	1	1
RC Lens	2007–2009	0	1
CS Sedan Ardennes	2009–2011	0	-
FC Istres	2011–2014	1	-

Eric Chelle Net Worth

There is no information available on Eric Chelle net worth. The Nigeria Football team coach has kept his financial figures and earnings private.

Eric Chelle Salary

Eric Chelle salary as Super Eagles coach is reportedly around €90,000 annually. According to media reports, there are also bonuses included in his contract.

Eric Chelle Family

Eric Chelle was born in Ivory Coast to a French father and a Malian mother. His father is a practicing Christian, but Chelle follows Islam, his mother's religion.

Eric Chelle Wife

There are no credible sources confirming the identity of Eric Chelle wife and his children. A Nigerian media outlet once claimed that his wife's name is Clara Chelle.