Eric Chelle Plays Down Osimhen–Lookman Clash, Hails Super Eagles’ Focus After Big Win

Nigeria head coach Éric Chelle has described the on-field disagreement between Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman during Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 Round of 16 win over Mozambique as an internal matter that will be resolved privately.

Nigeria cruised to a commanding 4-0 victory on Monday, with Osimhen scoring twice, while Lookman and Akor Adams also found the net to seal a place in the quarter-finals.

However, the game briefly drew attention for the wrong reasons in the 64th minute. With the Super Eagles already leading 3-0, Osimhen was seen angrily confronting Lookman inside the penalty area after a missed goal opportunity. The Napoli striker appeared frustrated that Lookman did not square the ball to him, believing he was better positioned to score.

Moments later, Osimhen signalled to the bench to be substituted and was eventually replaced by Moses Simon.

Addressing the incident during his post-match press conference, Chelle made it clear that the situation would not be discussed publicly.

“This is a question about my management and what happened on the pitch will stay in the group,” Chelle said.

“I don’t need to tell anyone what happened. I keep that for me. Everything that happens in the group stays in the group. We will see after that and we will talk.”

Despite the brief flashpoint, the Malian tactician expressed satisfaction with his team’s overall performance, while cautioning against complacency.

“I’m happy about this game, winning by four goals, but in reality we didn’t do anything special — we just won one game,” Chelle added. “If we want to be ambitious, we need to continue to improve and keep this quality on the pitch.

“My job now is to keep the players very focused on their training sessions and their behaviour.”

Nigeria will now turn their attention to the quarter-finals as they continue their push for a fourth Africa Cup of Nations title, determined to ensure that internal unity and concentration remain intact as the tournament intensifies.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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