Former Chairman of the Gombe State Football Association, Ahmed Shuaibu Gara-Gombe, has strongly opposed the Nigeria Football Federation’s potential decision to renew Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle’s contract with a salary increase to $130,000 per month .
Chelle, currently earning $50,000 monthly, reportedly submitted a 19-point proposal to the NFF on January 22, 2026, requesting a substantial salary hike alongside other demands including accommodation, transportation, and autonomy in team management . The Franco-Malian coach has less than a year left on his existing contract .
Speaking to The Guardian, Gara-Gombe dismissed Chelle’s demands as “ridiculous” and accused the coach of attempting to “blackmail” Nigeria after gaining international recognition through the Super Eagles .
“The Super Eagles raised Chelle to the global stage, not him raising the team, and he now wants to blackmail us. With the players Nigeria possess, we are even the ones to ask a coach like Eric Chelle to pay us ‘privileged fees’,” Gara-Gombe stated .
He further criticized speculation linking Chelle to European clubs like Olympique Marseille, describing it as a fabricated narrative . “If he wants to leave, let him go. I haven’t seen any tangible impact from him on the Super Eagles. If we retain this man at this amount, Nigeria will regret it,” he warned .
Chelle guided Nigeria to a third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, with the Super Eagles scoring 14 goals—the tournament’s highest tally . However, he failed to achieve two primary contractual objectives: qualifying Nigeria for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (lost to DR Congo on penalties) and reaching the AFCON final (eliminated by Morocco in semi-finals) .
An anonymous NFF official confirmed these missed targets, stating: “If Chelle wants to leave, he should come out boldly instead of this outrageous demand of $130,000” .
Former Super Eagles midfielder Edema Fuludu supported Gara-Gombe’s position, suggesting Nigeria should invest in homegrown coaches rather than yield to “unreasonable demands” . However, former Green Eagles winger Adegoke Adelabu argued the coach has the right to demand any amount, leaving the NFF to decide his worth .
The NFF has yet to formally approve any renewal, with the Technical Committee expected to review the proposal before board consideration .
Disclaimer: This report is based on multiple news sources as cited. CDA News Nigeria does not independently verify claims made by public figures or football administrators.
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