December 10, 2025
With less than two weeks to the start of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle is still settling issues of unpaid salaries with the Nigeria Football Federation and he is yet to unveil his final squad for the tournament.
The deadline for naming squads is Thursday, December 11, and the mandatory release date for clubs to make players available is Monday, December 15.
The 2025 AFCON will be played from December 21 to January 18, 2026, in Morocco and Nigeria, and the 23 other sides are allowed to select up to 28 players for the 2025 finals.
The Nigeria Football Federation published Chelle’s 54-man provisional list last Tuesday, and ahead of Thursday’s deadline by the Confederation of African Football.
As it currently stands, the final squad is not the only pressing issue on the coach’s desk, as reports surfaced on Tuesday that the Franco-Malian is owed three months salary.
“The Malian, who led the Eagles to 2026 World Cup play-off, has, however, yet to make an official complaint to his employers (the NFF) about the non-payment of his salary.”
READ MORE; AFCON Qualifier: Nigeria Lose 2-1 To Rwanda
In response to the allegations, a top official of the Nigeria Football Federation confirmed that the coach would be paid soon.
The source said, “Eric came to see us, and we explained the processes. His money will be paid. We have paid him even ahead before, and this time, we are waiting for cash backing from finance. The money on paper has been paid, and the coach is aware.”
“When they paid him two months ahead, all these were not glorified, and we don’t need this now,” he added.
Chairman of the National Sports Commission Shehu Dikko, had in May this year, revealed that the commission made provisions for the upfront payment of Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle’s salary until October through a presidentially endorsed support group as part of efforts to stabilise Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualification campaign.
“We worked with the Nigeria Football Federation to appoint the coach, and although the NFF signed his contract, we, through the support group, decided to cover his salary until October.
This will give the NFF space to secure long-term funding and sponsorship,” Dikko said in an interview with former Nigeria international Segun Odegbami, in a radio program.
READ MORE; NFF Appoints Eric Chelle As New Super Eagles Head Coach
Chelle, who was appointed in January by the NFF concluded Nigeria’s ill-fated 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
After sneaking into the African play-off, the Super Eagles lost on penalties to DR Congo in the final, marking an unfortunate back-to-back World Cup misses for Nigeria.
AFCON 2025 will be Chelle’s third major assignment with Nigeria, and the Super Eagles will compete in Group C alongside Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania.
The Eagles’ camp is scheduled to open on Wednesday, December 10, in Egypt with an unofficial pre-tournament friendly also booked with the Pharaohs for December 16.
