Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle was on hand at the Orange Vélodrome on Tuesday night as Olympique de Marseille secured a convincing 3–0 win over Rennes to reach the quarterfinals of the 2025–26 Coupe de France.
Chelle joined a packed stadium of 61,783 fans and used the high-profile fixture to assess Nigerian talents and dual-national prospects connected to the national team setup.
Recent Marseille recruit Tochukwu Nnadi did not feature in the encounter after missing the registration deadline following his deadline-day transfer.
The Nigerian international only recently completed a move from Belgian side Zulte Waregem, signing a four-and-a-half-year deal with the Ligue 1 heavyweights.
While Nnadi was absent from the matchday squad, Chelle turned his attention to Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri, who continues to attract interest from the Nigeria Football Federation.
The highly rated teenager made his third appearance for Marseille, playing the first half before making way for Bilal Nadir. He also picked up a yellow card during his time on the pitch.
Nwaneri, a product of Arsenal’s Hale End Academy, is understood to still be eligible and open to representing Nigeria, although indications suggest he currently favours England, his birth country, for his senior international future.
Following the match, Chelle took to social media to reflect on the outing, sharing a photo with Nnadi and writing: “Evening at the Velodrome for OM v Rennes. Glad to have welcomed Nnadi, new face to Marseille.”
The Super Eagles coach, who holds French citizenship through his father, enjoyed a successful playing career in France with clubs such as Martigues, Valenciennes, Lens, Istres and Chamois Niortais before moving into management.
