Olympic Eagles: Chelle Appoints Assistants Ahead of U-23 AFCON Qualifiers
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has appointed Bright Osehai Ozebagbe and Deniran Ortega as his assistants as the Olympic Eagles begin preparations for the U-23 AFCON qualifiers.
The appointments were announced by the National Sports Commission (NSC) in a statement signed by Kola Daniel, Special Adviser on Media to the Office of the Director General, on Tuesday.
Chelle, who also oversees the Olympic Eagles, expressed confidence in the two Nigerian coaches, citing their coaching profiles and experience as key factors in their selection.
The Franco-Malian tactician is expected to commence preparations for the U-23 African Cup of Nations, U-23 AFCON,qualifying campaign with a training camp in Abuja.
The U-23 AFCON will serve as the qualifiers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Ozebagbe currently serves as technical adviser to Nigeria Premier Football League side Ikorodu City, who narrowly missed out on continental qualification on the final day of last season.
Ortega, meanwhile, is a UEFA-licensed coach who has completed training with the Scottish Football Association. He is also a member of the technical staff of Nigeria’s Flying Eagles.
Chelle has already presented his plans for the Olympic team to the NSC leadership as the country begins rebuilding a squad capable of securing qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The Olympic Eagles are scheduled to begin their qualifying campaign in November 2026.
The NSC, which oversees Nigeria’s men’s and women’s Olympic football teams, has made qualification for Los Angeles a major objective and is also targeting a podium finish at the Games.
The appointments of Ozebagbe and Ortega represent the first major step in Chelle’s preparations as Nigeria seeks to return to the Olympic football tournament.
