Former NFF president Amaju Pinnick has praised new Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle’s managerial pedigree, dismissing criticism of the appointment as unfairly rooted in prejudice.
Chelle’s arrival was met with mixed reactions from sections of Nigerian football fans, prompting Pinnick to defend the coach’s credentials during an interview on Arise TV.
Softfootball understands Pinnick was direct in addressing what he believes has driven some of the backlash.
He said:
I got a lot of calls when he was announced. I shook my head because before now, I had already done my intelligence about Eric, and I came to realize that some people do not know him.
They are just basing their argument on the colour of his skin, not the content of his targets and his deliverables.
Pinnick went on to highlight Chelle’s impressive record with the Mali national team as evidence of his suitability for the role. He added:
He’s got a wonderful record. Out of 22 games, he won 14, drew four, and lost just three, which shows that he is an offensive coach, and Nigeria, traditionally, we are an offensive team.
