‘It’s normal’ – Chelle plays down Osimhen-Lookman AFCON clash

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has dismissed concerns over the on-pitch disagreement between Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman during Nigeria’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations round-of-16 win over Mozambique, describing the incident as a normal part of elite football.

Nigeria secured a convincing victory to progress to the quarterfinals, but attention briefly shifted from the result after Osimhen appeared visibly frustrated late in the game, directing his anger at teammates, including Lookman, in his pursuit of a hat-trick.

What happened during the match

Lookman was central to Nigeria’s attacking dominance in the game. The Atalanta forward opened the scoring, assisted Osimhen for Nigeria’s second goal and later set up the Napoli striker again for his second of the night.

However, with Osimhen pushing for a third goal, television cameras caught him shouting at full-back Bruno Onyemaechi and later at Lookman for not releasing the ball quickly enough.

Moments later, Osimhen signalled to the bench and was substituted for Moses Simon.

Nigeria went on to score again after the change, with Lookman providing yet another assist, this time for Akor Adams, to seal a 4–0 win and a place in the last eight.

Chelle explains striker mentality

Speaking on After Foot RMC, Chelle said the exchange should not be overinterpreted, stressing that both players are driven by an intense desire to score.

“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,” Chelle said.

“Victor is a machine. 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.”

Chelle added that the disagreement stemmed from a brief tactical exchange rather than any personal issue.

“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,” he explained.

Issue resolved internally

According to Chelle, the matter was resolved without intervention from the coaching staff.

“At the end of the match, he went home upset; he needed time to calm down. Once he did, he became the Victor we know again,” Chelle said. “There was never any question of him not playing against Algeria.”

“What happens in the locker room stays in the locker room. They talked it over, and that was it.”

Both players have since moved on positively. Osimhen has rediscovered scoring form with Galatasaray, while Lookman has made an immediate impact at Atlético Madrid following his move from Atalanta.