Eric Chelle has acknowledged that his personal ambitions have driven him to leave MC Oran in order to take up the role of head coach for the Super Eagles.

The 47-year-old expressed his gratitude to the Algerian club and its supporters for their warm reception during his time there.

Chelle admitted that the opportunity to lead Nigeria, a three-time African champion, was too tempting to pass up.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed Chelle’s appointment as the new national team coach last week.

However, Chelle made sure to oversee his final match with MC Oran on Saturday, securing a 1-0 victory over USM Setif to qualify the team for the Algeria Cup quarter-finals.

After the match, Chelle shared: “I have the chance to join the best team in Africa and one of the best in the world. It’s true, I’m very selfish. But I would like to once again thank the Algerians and the people of Oran for their warm welcome.”

Now, Chelle faces the task of guiding the Super Eagles to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup and achieving success at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.