Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has appointed Bright Osehai Ozebagbe and Deniran Ortega as his assistants for the Nigeria Olympic team as preparations begin for the men’s football qualifying campaign for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The National Sports Commission disclosed the appointments in a statement signed by Kola Daniel, Special Adviser on Media to the Office of the Director General, on Tuesday in Abuja.
Chelle, who doubles as head coach of both the Super Eagles and the Olympic Eagles, described the duo as among Nigeria’s brightest young coaching talents, pointing to their profiles and coaching experience as key reasons behind the appointment.
Furthermore, the Franco-Malian tactician expressed satisfaction at having both men join his technical team as Nigeria begins preparations for the Olympic qualifiers. Consequently, the move represents the first major step in Chelle’s build-up toward a qualifying campaign that carries significant weight for Nigerian football.
Ozebagbe currently serves as technical adviser at Nigeria Premier Football League side Ikorodu City, a club that narrowly missed out on continental qualification on the final day of last season. Meanwhile, Ortega brings a different but complementary profile to the setup, having trained with the Scottish Football Association and earned his UEFA coaching license. He currently works as one of the assistant coaches with Nigeria’s Flying Eagles, the country’s U-20 side, having previously been confirmed in May as first assistant to Abdu Maikaba with the same team.
The appointments come as Nigeria looks to end an extended absence from Olympic men’s football, having failed to qualify for both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. As a result, Chelle’s task is not only to assemble a competitive technical team but also to rebuild a squad capable of ending that eight-year wait and securing a place at Los Angeles 2028.
Nevertheless, the NSC has set its sights beyond mere qualification, with the commission reportedly targeting a podium finish in Los Angeles, a lofty ambition given Nigeria’s proud history at the Games, including gold at Atlanta 1996 and silver at Beijing 2008.
Chelle is expected to open a training camp in Abuja soon as he begins shaping his squad, and reports suggest he could still add a foreign scout and another foreign assistant to strengthen the Olympic Eagles setup further. In addition, the qualifying campaign is scheduled to begin in November 2026, with Nigeria set to face either DR Congo or Mauritania in the opening round.
The appointment of Ozebagbe and Ortega reflects a deliberate blend of local league insight and European-certified coaching methodology, a combination that mirrors the broader push within Nigerian football to develop homegrown technical staff alongside experienced foreign-based figures. Consequently, both coaches bring valuable exposure working with young Nigerian players, which could prove important as Chelle builds a squad capable of competing at Olympic level.
Furthermore, their involvement signals confidence in Nigeria’s growing pool of coaching talent, a development that is likely to be welcomed by stakeholders keen on greater representation for local coaches within the national team setup.
Chelle will now turn his attention to assembling a squad for the Olympic Eagles’ training camp in Abuja, with the qualifying campaign for Los Angeles 2028 set to begin in November 2026. Meanwhile, Ozebagbe and Ortega are expected to begin work with the technical team immediately, drawing on their respective experience at club and junior international level.
As preparations intensify, further additions to the coaching staff, including possible foreign appointments, could follow in the coming weeks as Nigeria aims to end its long wait for a return to the Olympic football stage.
