The Malian Football Federation (FEMAFOOT) announced on Thursday the termination of head coach Eric Chelle’s contract. The official statement, reported on national television, provided no specific reason for the decision. However, the move comes just days after Mali’s disappointing goalless draw against a ten-man Madagascar side in a Group I World Cup qualifier held in Johannesburg.
“The executive committee of FEMAFOOT, meeting in extraordinary session today, unanimously decided, with the agreement of the supervisory authority, to end the collaboration between the coach of the National Team Senior, Mr. Eric Sekou Chelle and the federation,” the statement declared.
Chelle, a 46-year-old Franco-Malian, was born in Ivory Coast to a French father and a Malian mother. He spent most of his playing career in France, making five appearances for Mali at the international level between 2004 and 2006.
Appointed head coach in May 2022, Chelle guided the Eagles to the quarter-finals of the 2023 African Cup of Nations held in Ivory Coast earlier this year. Prior to taking the Mali job, his coaching experience came in the French lower divisions with clubs like Martigues and Boulogne.
The recent draw against Madagascar, coupled with an earlier defeat to Ghana in the World Cup qualifiers, appears to have been the tipping point for FEMAFOOT. The federation is now on the hunt for a new head coach to steer the national team forward in their quest to qualify for the 2026 World Cup and beyond.
