Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has emerged as a potential candidate for the Olympique de Marseille managerial position following the departure of Roberto De Zerbi.
 
Marseille parted company with De Zerbi after a 5-0 league defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, prompting the Ligue 1 club to begin the search for a replacement.
 
According to reports in France, there are strong indications that Chelle’s name has been put forward to Marseille through intermediaries, with the club compiling a shortlist of possible candidates. No formal approach has been made.
 
The 48-year-old, who led Nigeria to a third-place finish at the  Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, is currently not engaged in competitive international fixtures and is understood to be available should Marseille move quickly in their recruitment process.
 
Chelle enhanced his reputation at the AFCON, where Nigeria finished as the tournament’s top scorers with 14 goals in six matches, and were widely praised for their attacking style.
 
However, he faces competition for the role in Marseille, as former Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi, who guided his country to Africa Cup of Nations glory in 2019, is also under consideration. Also, Habib Beye, the former Marseille captain now coaching Rennes, is reported to be a leading contender.
 
Both Chelle and Belmadi are said to reside in Martigues, close to Marseille, though the club’s sporting director Medhi Benatia has yet to initiate direct talks with any candidate.
 
This is coming despite the NFF president Ibrahim Gusau’s insistence on Monday that the Franco-Malian coach still has one year remaining on his contract and is expected to honour it.
 
“We still have a one-year contract with Eric, and therefore, whatever anyone will show on him, he has to wait until his contract expires,” Gusau said.
  
“We don’t want to distract him because we understand that he enjoys working with Nigeria and believes he can achieve his ambitions with the Super Eagles.”