Photo Credit: File Photo / Punch Newspapers
Chelle Appoints Ozebagbe, Ortega as U-23 Eagles Assistant Coaches

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle will work with Bright Osehai Ozebagbe and Deniran Ortega as his assistant coaches for the Nigeria U-23 national team, the Olympic Eagles.

Chelle was assigned to take charge of the U-23 side in June following fresh contract discussions with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

According to a statement released by the National Sports Commission on Tuesday, the Franco-Malian tactician described Ortega and Ozebagbe as two of the brightest young coaches in the country with impressive profiles, and expressed delight at working with them.

Ozebagbe is the current Technical Adviser of Nigeria Premier Football League club Ikorodu City, who narrowly missed out on a continental slot on the final day of last season. Ortega, on the other hand, is a UEFA-licensed coach trained by the Scottish Football Association and currently serves as one of the assistant coaches of the Flying Eagles.

Chelle and his technical crew are expected to open camp soon in Abuja ahead of the qualifiers.

He has been tasked with guiding Nigeria back to the men’s football event of the Olympic Games for the first time in 20 years. The journey begins with the qualifiers for the 2027 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations scheduled for November.

Nigeria have been handed a bye into the second round of the qualifiers and will face the winner of the first-round tie between Mauritania and DR Congo. The draw was conducted in Cairo, Egypt last Tuesday, with Nigeria among 14 countries seeded directly into the second round based on their performance in the last three editions.

The first-round matches will hold on September 28 and October 6, while Nigeria’s second-round fixtures are scheduled for November 9 and 17, with the Olympic Eagles playing the first leg away.

Should Nigeria advance, they will meet the winner of Burkina Faso vs Sierra Leone/Zambia in the final round slated for March 22-30, 2027.

Seven teams will join hosts Egypt at the final tournament, which will serve as Africa’s qualifiers for the men’s football event at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Source: Punch Newspapers