ABUJA, Nigeria โ€” Former Super Eagles midfielder Garba Lawal has expressed significant reservations over the Nigeria Football Federation's capacity to consistently fund the newly approved 100,000 dollars monthly salary for national team head coach Eric Chelle. The Franco-Malian tactician recently finalized a lucrative contract extension taking him through 2030, a deal negotiated by the National Sports Commission. Under the revised terms, Chelle's salary doubled from his previous 50,000 dollars monthly wage, with the football federation additionally assuming separate responsibility for funding his backroom assistants. In tandem with the salary bump, Chelle has also been handed tactical oversight of the under-23 Olympic team ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 qualifiers. Financial Warnings from a National Veteran While acknowledging that the long-term contract offers security and technical continuity, Lawal warned that the financial burden might prove too heavy for the federation to sustain over the multi-year duration. Speaking on the development, the former utility player noted that while the inclusion of the Olympic squad under Chelle's purview could help discover elite young talents, the fiscal realities of Nigerian football governance remain a major challenge. This is very good for Nigeria because Eric Chelle can call up players who perform very well in the Olympics, Lawal stated. I only fear that Nigeria cannot sustain that 100,000 dollars monthly payment. The massive upgrade represents a substantial financial pivot for the federation. Chelle had initially held out for a 130,000 dollars monthly package during negotiations to cover his personal assistants, but eventually agreed to the 100,000 dollars compromise after the federation agreed to settle his technical staff's contracts independently. Finidi Warns Against Overloading the Coach Lawal is not alone in raising concerns regarding the sweeping terms of the new contract. Former Super Eagles head coach Finidi George also urged caution, focusing on the tactical and physical strain being placed on a single manager. The former Ajax winger argued that overloading Chelle with dual responsibilities for both the senior national team and the under-23 Olympic squad could dilute his effectiveness at a time when the Super Eagles face intense pressure to perform. The Super Eagles job is already stressful enough for him, Finidi remarked. Do not add more stress to it because you are paying him 100,000 dollars. Tell him your expectations and target on the Super Eagles and let him concentrate on that. Let him get this job done. There are other Nigerian coaches that can handle the youth teams. There should be a proper division of labour. A Tenure Marked by Mixed Success Chelle's extended tenure comes at a highly polarized time for Nigerian football stakeholders. Having assumed control of the team in January 2025, the manager stabilized the Super Eagles during the 2026 World Cup qualification series, steering them through four victories and two draws to reach the continental play-offs. However, the team ultimately failed to secure a ticket to the global tournament, falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo after a preliminary victory over Gabon. Despite the World Cup disappointment, Chelle's supporters within the federation point to his achievement in guiding Nigeria to a bronze medal at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco as evidence of structural progress. The National Sports Commission, led by Chairman Shehu Dikko, has defended the aggressive contract valuation, insisting that fresh performance benchmarks have been integrated into the contract to hold the coaching crew accountable to strict international deliverables moving forward.