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Algeria’s football governing body has reached out to Éric Chelle about taking over as head coach of the men’s national team. Chelle currently manages Nigeria’s Super Eagles, which makes this roughly the coaching equivalent of trying to poach your neighbor’s contractor mid-renovation.
The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) is reportedly exploring multiple candidates for the coaching vacancy, with Chelle emerging as a target following Algeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Why Chelle, and why now
Chelle’s stock rose considerably after he guided Nigeria to the quarterfinals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. That tournament run turned him from a relatively low-profile appointment into one of the more sought-after coaches on the continent.
The Franco-Malian coach has an interesting connection to Algerian football already. He managed Algerian club MC Oran from October 2024 to January 2025, giving him firsthand experience with the country’s football culture and infrastructure.
Before Nigeria, Chelle led the Mali national team from 2022 to 2024.
Reports from as recently as February 2026 suggested Chelle had been taken out of the running for the Algeria job entirely. The fact that the FAF has apparently circled back suggests their other options either fell through or proved less appealing than originally thought.
Chelle’s contract with Nigeria runs until January 2027, which means any move would likely require negotiations between the two federations, or a buyout clause being triggered.
No formal offer has been made public, and Chelle hasn’t indicated whether he’d be willing to leave Nigeria mid-contract. But the mere fact that the FAF has re-established contact, after reportedly moving on from Chelle months ago, tells you something about the thinness of the coaching market at this level.
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