Chelle Names Ozebagbe, Ortega As Olympic Eagles Assistants

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 (NSC) disclosed this in a statement signed by Kola Daniel, Special Adviser on Media to the Office of the Director General, and made available to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.

Chelle, who also oversees the Olympic Eagles, described Ozebagbe and Ortega as two of Nigeria’s promising young coaches, citing their profiles and coaching experience as key reasons for their appointment.

The Franco-Malian coach said he was pleased to have both coaches join his technical team as Nigeria begins preparations for the Olympic qualifiers.

Ozebagbe is currently technical adviser of Nigeria Premier Football League side Ikorodu City, who narrowly missed out on a continental ticket on the final day of last season.

Ortega, meanwhile, is a UEFA-licensed coach who received training from the Scottish Football Association and currently serves as one of the assistant coaches of Nigeria’s Flying Eagles.

Chelle has already briefed the leadership of the NSC on his plans for the Olympic team and is expected to open a training camp in Abuja soon.

The Olympic Eagles’ qualifiers are scheduled to begin in November 2026 as Nigeria targets a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The NSC has responsibility for both Nigeria’s men’s and women’s Olympic football teams and has set qualification as a key objective, while also targeting a podium finish in Los Angeles.

The appointment of Ozebagbe and Ortega represents the first major step in Chelle’s preparations for the Olympic qualifying campaign as Nigeria seeks to return to the Olympic football stage.