By Oni Ladonette Ondesa
Journalist kick442.com – Cameroon
In football, reputations are often shaped by moments rather than methods. For Eric Sékou Chelle, one image followed him longer than any tactical plan or result. It was the sight of an assistant coach pouring ice-cold water over his head as he staggered on the touchline, close to collapse.
That moment came on February 3, 2024. Mali had just been eliminated from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations by a 10-man Ivory Coast, conceding in the 122nd minute. Chelle, dizzy and battling a spike in blood pressure, became a global meme. The episode captured African football’s raw emotion, but for Chelle it became a label. A nearly man, unable to cross the line when the stakes were highest.
On Saturday night at the Stade de Marrakech, that image finally faded. Nigeria’s 2–0 victory over Algeria sent the Super Eagles into the semi-finals of AFCON 2025 and delivered a personal breakthrough for Chelle.
For the first time in his managerial career, the Franco-Malian has gone beyond the quarter-final stage. He has done so with a team many believed he would damage rather than improve.
Chelle’s journey has always defied easy labels. Born in Côte d’Ivoire to a Malian mother and a French father, he was raised in France before choosing to play international football for Mali.
His coaching career has crossed borders and cultures, with spells in Algeria, Mali and now Nigeria. Few coaches on the continent understand its footballing contradictions better, or feel its pressures more personally.
His tenure with Mali, from May 2022 to June 2024, was statistically strong but emotionally draining. Chelle built a side admired for its attacking football, yet one that repeatedly fell short in defining moments. The AFCON exit in Côte d’Ivoire strained relations with the Malian Football Federation, and trust slowly eroded.
The final break came in June 2024. A goalless draw against a 10-man Madagascar in a World Cup qualifier left Mali’s campaign in serious trouble. Chelle was dismissed days later. He departed with 14 wins and just three defeats, but his record was overshadowed by the perception that he could not manage pressure when it peaked.
Nigeria’s decision to appoint him in January 2025 divided opinion. As the first non-Nigerian African to coach the Super Eagles, Chelle inherited the most scrutinised job in African football. Doubts intensified in November 2025 when Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after a play-off defeat to DR Congo.
Mockery followed. Some fans waved water bottles in stadiums, a cruel reminder of the 2023 incident. Chelle was criticised for alleging mystical interference after the DR Congo loss and for appearing rigid under stress. Many expected his tenure to end before this tournament began.
Instead, Chelle adapted. In Morocco, he has reshaped Nigeria into a composed and efficient side. Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams have been paired into a genuine two-pronged attack. Defensively, a back line led by Calvin Bassey has delivered three clean sheets in four matches. Above all, Chelle himself has changed, calmer on the sideline and sharper with his in-game decisions.
The win over Algeria was his defining performance. Osimhen’s commanding header broke the deadlock before Adams added a second to seal the contest. Nigeria controlled the match against an Algerian side that had built its tournament on defensive discipline. There was no panic, no late collapse, only control.
For Chelle, this semi-final place is more than a line on a résumé. It is a personal reckoning. He has absorbed public ridicule, federation politics and the pain of missing a World Cup, yet now stands two matches away from a continental title with Nigeria.
The man once remembered for needing water to stay upright is now the one extinguishing the doubts of his critics.
Nigeria will face hosts Morocco in the semi-final in Rabat on Wednesday, January 14.
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