Nigeria, Jan. 8 -- Exactly 366 days ago, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) made a decision that divided opinion, sparked outrage in some quarters, and inspired cautious hope in others.

On that day, the NFF officially unveiled Eric Sekhou Chelle as head coach of the Super Eagles.

It was a bold move, made under pressure.

Nigeria had been without a substantive head coach for seven months. Finidi George had resigned in July 2024 after a turbulent four-game stint that yielded one win, two defeats, and a draw. The fallout was severe.

Interim boss Austin Eguavoen steadied the ship just enough to secure AFCON 2025 qualification, but the damage was already done. Combined failures under Finidi and Jose Peseiro left Nigeria winless in their ...