Mali forward Lassine Sinayoko has expressed delight over the appointment of Eric Chelle as the new head coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles.
Sinayoko, who plays for French Ligue 1 side AJ Auxerre, was a key figure in Chelle’s Mali squad during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). He was instrumental in Mali’s impressive campaign, which ended in the quarterfinals with a narrow loss to hosts Ivory Coast.
The forward, who made his international debut in 2021 under former Mali coach Mohamed Magassouba, was overlooked for two years before being recalled to the squad by Chelle. The decision paid off as Sinayoko scored three crucial goals at 2023 AFCON, finding the net against South Africa, Tunisia, and Burkina Faso in the Round of 16.
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Sinayoko expressed his admiration for Chelle during an interview with RFI, saying, “I am very happy for him because before being a good coach, he is a good person. He had the courage to put me in the starting line-up in a competition as important as the AFCON, ahead of players in more exclusive clubs, like those in the Champions League. What is happening to him is deserved.”
Despite facing criticism for Mali’s quarterfinal exit, with many pointing to his substitutions as the cause of the defeat to Ivory Coast, Sinayoko defended his former coach.
“I heard a lot of people say the elimination from the 2023 AFCON was because of his substitutions. For me, it has nothing to do with it. In the previous match against Burkina, he made the same changes, and it worked very well. Nobody said anything. There always has to be a scapegoat,” he noted.
With the Super Eagles already qualified for the 2025 AFCON, Chelle’s next focus will be to guide Nigeria to secure a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
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