Chelle names Ozebagbe, Ortega assistant coaches for Olympic Eagles

Super Eagles Head Coach Eric Chelle has appointed Bright Osehai Ozebagbe and Deniran Ortega as assistant coaches for the Nigeria Olympic men’s football team as preparations begin for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Chelle, who also leads the Olympic Eagles, highlighted the impressive credentials of both Nigerian tacticians, describing them as two of the brightest young minds in local football. Ozebagbe currently serves as Technical Adviser of Nigeria Premier Football League side Ikorodu City, while Ortega is a UEFA-licensed coach trained by the Scottish Football Association who also serves with the Nigeria U-20 Flying Eagles.

The head coach has formally presented his strategic roadmap to the National Sports Commission (NSC). Under the plan, an open screening and preparation camp will launch in Abuja ahead of the team’s opening Olympic qualifiers scheduled for November 2026.

The NSC maintains direct oversight of both the men’s and women’s Olympic football teams. Commission leadership reaffirmed that the central target for the campaign extends beyond simple qualification to securing a podium finish at LA 2028.

Nigeria will be hoping to return to the men’s Olympic football tournament after missing the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games.