Super Eagles defender Bruno Onyemaechi has publicly defended Nigeria’s head coach Eric Chelle amid criticism from former national team captain Sunday Oliseh, Soccernet.ng reports.
Olympiacos star Onyemaechi has described Chelle as the “right guy for the job” even as the Malian tactician navigates an impressive start to his tenure as the Super Eagles boss.
Onyemaechi, who has been a regular in the Nigerian setup since Chelle’s appointment, dismissed external doubts surrounding the coach’s ability and urged critics to look beyond the surface.
What Onyemaechi said in support of Super Eagles coach Chelle
“In the few months I’ve worked with him, I can say he’s the right guy for the job,” Onyemaechi told TVC News Nigeria.
“There’s noise outside saying he doesn’t know what he’s doing, but if you come closer, you’ll know he’s the right guy for the job.”
The 26-year-old left-back’s comments come in response to recent remarks by Sunday Oliseh, who questioned the decision to hand the national team role to a non-Nigerian.
Oliseh, a former Borussia Dortmund midfielder and 1994 AFCON winner, did not hold back in a blunt interview with SuperSport.
“I am not a big fan of him [Eric Chelle],” Oliseh said via PanAfricaFootball. “I feel it is a sign of disrespect to the coaches and people of Nigeria. I am not going to comment on how good he is, but he looks like a nice guy.
“Africans are not allowed to coach abroad, and Nigerians are not allowed to coach outside their shores. The only job that is the most prized one, leave it for the people to handle; that’s my opinion.
“I feel my country has suffered enough; the coaches, players, and ex-players have suffered enough, and they have paid the price, so let them do their job.”
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Chelle made history as the first African foreigner to be appointed head coach of Nigeria.
Since taking charge in January, the former Mali international has overseen five matches without defeat and guided the Super Eagles to the Unity Cup title — a four-nation invitational tournament involving Ghana, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Backing his manager, Onyemaechi praised the atmosphere Chelle has created in camp and the progress being made behind the scenes.
On the field, Nigeria face a critical run of fixtures as they bid to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. September will see the Super Eagles play South Africa before hosting Rwanda — two must-win matches following a stuttering start to their campaign.
“Talking about the World Cup, we have very important games that we need to win,” Onyemaechi said. “We know it’s difficult but we are professionals, we need to do our job.
“We know the pressure is there, we need to forget about that and try to win these two games and qualify for the World Cup. Nigeria is a big nation, it’s a big shame if we don’t qualify for the World Cup so we will do our best to get the ticket.”
The fullback is also gearing up for a historic moment in his club career.
After helping Olympiacos lift the Greek Super League title and Greek Cup in the second half of last season, Onyemaechi is set to make his UEFA Champions League debut in the upcoming campaign.
“It’s a very big season cause I’ll be playing in the Champions League for the first time,” he said. “I’m looking forward to this, I hope I’m prepared for it and I hope I’m injury free also.”
Onyemaechi joined Olympiacos from Boavista in January and made nine league appearances as the club clinched their first domestic double since 2022.
Since making his Nigeria debut in September 2023, Onyemaechi has earned 15 caps and is now seen as a key figure in Chelle’s emerging squad.