Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has spoken about the heated exchange between Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman during the 4-0 win over Mozambique.
Nigeria blitzed into the last eight of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a dominant win over the Mambas at Complexe Sportif de Fes in Morocco.
Lookman opened the scoring in the first half, and Osimhen doubled it before half-time. The Galatasaray forward scored his second early in the second half, and Akor Adams wrapped it up.
Head coach Eric Chelle, who appeared uncomfortable on the touchline during the fracas, has spoken about the incident between his players.
The manager, like in other situations, refused to be drawn into a public judgment of the issue, but instead claimed he would address it with the team.
“This is the question about my management. What happened on the pitch will stay in the group, I don’t need to tell you what happened or what will happen, I will keep that to me,” he said as quoted by Osasu Obayiuwana.
“Everything that happens in the life of the group will stay in the life of the group, so we’d see after now and we’d talk.”
Nigerians expressed their dissatisfaction towards the former Napoli, who has become popular for his emotional outbursts on the pitch.
A few other Nigerians supported and defended his antics, claiming it was out of passion and hunger, and that his teammates had also let him down by failing to pick him out for passes.
Regardless of what opinion they held, the consensus is that the team should bury the incident and focus on the task ahead with three matches to go to victory.
According to the NFF, a quarter-final tie against Algeria or the Democratic Republic of Congo awaits on Saturday, January 10, 2026.
CAF confirmed that the Desert Foxes and the Leopards will clash at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, in what is seen as the toughest clash of the Round of 16.
Nigeria has history against both countries and will be out for revenge, whichever of the two qualifies for the quarter-final.
Algeria eliminated Nigeria in the semi-final of AFCON 2019, while DR Congo ended Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup hopes in the playoffs.
Watch Eric Chelle speak below:
This is what Eric Chelle, the @NGSuperEagles head coach, had to say about the argument between @Alookman_ & @victorosimhen9, before @victorosimhen9 was substituted, during their #AFCON2025 Rof16 game against #Mozambique, which they won 4-0. pic.twitter.com/tZDYmwafCF
— Osasu Obayiuwana (@osasuo) January 5, 2026
