Head coach of Nigeria, Eric Chelle has finally broken his silence about the on-field incident involving Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations clash against Mozambique.
Despite cruising to an emphatic 4-0 victory over Mozambique in the round of 16 clash at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, Osimhen’s outburst with his teammate took centre stage of the match, outshining their success in the high-stake match.
Osimhen, who plies his trade for Galatasaray was spotted in a heated argument with Lookman in the 63rd-minute mark, with Nigeria already 3–0 and Osimhen on a hat-trick.
The Napoli striker was visibly frustrated after failing to receive passes from Lookman and Bruno Onyemaechi, leading to a brief verbal exchange between the players on the pitch.
Speaking to French outlet RMC Sport, Chelle admitted that emotions ran high but insisted the situation was never serious.
“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. 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, never,” Chelle explained to RMC Sport.
“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.”
Nigeria finished third at the AFCON tournament in Morocco, after beating Egypt on penalties in the third-place clash.
