Chelle begins Olympic Eagles rebuild with Ozebagbe, Ortega appointments

Posted : 01 September 2026

Super Eagles Head Coach Eric Chelle has begun laying the groundwork for Nigeria’s quest for a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games with the appointment of Bright Osehai Ozebagbe and Deniran Ortega as his assistants with the Olympic Eagles.

Chelle, who also oversees the Nigeria U-23 side, has moved early to assemble his technical team as preparations gather momentum for the Olympic qualifiers scheduled to begin in November 2026.

The appointments underline the Franco-Malian coach’s intention to combine experience at the top level with the emerging talents within Nigeria’s coaching system as he targets a successful Olympic qualifying campaign.

Chelle described Ozebagbe and Ortega as two of the brightest young coaches in Nigerian football, adding that he was delighted to have them as part of his technical crew.

Ozebagbe currently serves as Technical Adviser of Ikorodu City FC, where he guided the Lagos-based side through an impressive 2025/26 Nigeria Premier Football League campaign that saw them narrowly miss out on continental qualification on the final day of the season.

His experience in the domestic top flight is expected to provide valuable insight as the Olympic Eagles prepare to face the demands of a competitive qualification campaign.

Ortega, meanwhile, brings international coaching education to the setup. The UEFA-licensed coach was trained by the Scottish Football Association and is currently an assistant coach with Nigeria’s Flying Eagles.

His involvement gives the Olympic Eagles another young coach with experience working within Nigeria’s national-team structure.

Chelle has already briefed the leadership of the National Sports Commission on his plans for the Olympic team and the preparations required to secure qualification for Los Angeles 2028.

The coach is expected to open the team's first camping programme in Abuja soon as attention shifts towards the November qualifiers.

The early formation of his technical team suggests that Chelle is keen to avoid a rushed approach to the Olympic assignment, with sufficient time being allowed to identify and assess players before the qualifiers begin.

Nigeria's Olympic football teams, both male and female, are under the supervision of the National Sports Commission, which has set an ambitious target of not only securing qualification but also challenging for a podium finish in Los Angeles.

For the Olympic Eagles, the first major hurdle is qualification.

Chelle's task will be to build a balanced squad capable of navigating the qualifying series while developing a team strong enough to compete against Africa's best at the Olympic tournament.

With Ozebagbe and Ortega now joining his technical setup, the foundation of that project has begun to take shape.

The coming months will reveal whether Chelle's combination of emerging coaching talent, early preparation and a clear Olympic ambition can produce the desired result when the qualification battle begins in November.

Chelle begins Olympic Eagles rebuild with Ozebagbe, Ortega appointments

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