Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has spoken publicly for the first time about the disagreement between Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
The incident, which occurred on the field during Nigeria’s Round of 16 encounter with Mozambique, became one of the most discussed moments of the tournament.
Explaining what happened, Chelle revealed that emotions briefly flared between the two forwards during the match.
“On the pitch, there was a discussion with Lookman. Victor told him, ‘We need to stop playing in front of goal.’ Things got a little heated, a minor altercation, but that’s part of locker room life,” Eric Chelle told After Foot RMC.
He added that Osimhen was visibly unhappy after the game and needed some time to cool off before returning to his usual self.
“At the end of the match, he went home upset; he needed time to calm down. And once he did, he became the Victor we know again.
“There was never any question of him not playing against Algeria (AFCON quarterfinal), never.
“What happens in the locker room stays in the locker room. I didn’t even need to intervene. We went back to the hotel, they talked it over, and that was it.”
Speaking further on the qualities of both players, Chelle described them as elite attackers driven by an intense desire to score goals.
“On Two Great Strikers
He continued: ‘In front of goal, those two guys are top-level.
“Even better, this tension would almost make sense when you’re talking about two strikers obsessed with scoring.
“In front of goal, those two guys are top-level. Victor is a machine. If he doesn’t do his specific striker drills, if he doesn’t score in training, it drives him crazy. He wants to win everything. For him, it’s not a funfair. Lookman is the same, but calmer.
“Frankly, I’ve seen strikers, but to strike the ball like they do, right foot, left foot… that’s a very, very high level.’”
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