Chelle Opens Up On Osimhen Vs Lookman’s AFCON 2025 Spat

Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has, for the first time, shed light on the on-pitch disagreement between Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The incident involving Osimhen and Lookman during Nigeria’s Round of 16 match against Mozambique was a significant talking point throughout the tournament.

“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,” Éric Chelle told After Foot RMC.

“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 quarter-final), never.

“What happens in the dressing room stays in the dressing room. I didn’t even need to intervene. We went back to the hotel, they talked it over, and that was that.”

He continued: “In front of goal, those two lads are top-level. Even better, this tension would almost make sense when you’re talking about two strikers obsessed with scoring.

“Victor is a machine. If he doesn’t do his specific striker drills, if he doesn’t score in training, it drives him mad. 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.”