Why Super Eagles’ new coach had water poured on his head after AFCON quarter-final loss

Nigeria’s new senior national team coach, Eric Chelle, made headlines at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) after his team’s quarter-final defeat at the hands of hosts Ivory Coast, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

A video in which one of his assistants pours water on Chelle’s head after his Mali team blew a 1-0 lead to lose 1-2 in dramatic fashion went viral on the Internet.

That video discussion was revisited when he was appointed by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) as the new coach of the Nigerian senior team, with a mandate to ensure the team qualifies for the 2026 world cup.

Their first match will be in March when the team takes on group leaders Rwanda away from home before taking on Zimbabwe in their home group which is the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.

Explaining the spilled water incident after the match, the new Super Eagles coach said he began to feel dizzy after his team conceded the second goal, which ultimately led to their elimination from the tournament.

“After the Elephants’ second goal, I started to feel dizzy, my blood pressure was going up. Fortunately, my compatriot poured enough water on my head to stabilize my blood pressure,” Chelle said in the post-match conference.

More tense times are likely to lie ahead for the 47-year-old with Nigeria, who are currently fifth in their six-team group in World Cup qualifiers that resume in March.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman