CAN 2025: Rift between Osimhen and Lookman, Éric Chelle finally tells all | OneFootball

CAN 2025: Rift between Osimhen and Lookman, Éric Chelle finally tells all

During the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, the dispute between Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman in the round of 16 against Mozambique stood out as one of the tournament’s most notable incidents. In recent hours, Nigerian coach Éric Chelle has finally shed light on what really happened.

In the round of 16 clash of CAN 2025 between Nigeria and Mozambique (4-0), the match was marked by a heated exchange between Super Eagles’ attacking stars Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman. Speaking to RMC Radio, Nigerian head coach Éric Chelle revisited the story in detail.

"On the pitch, there was a discussion with Lookman. Victor told him: 'We need to stop playing in front of goal like this.' Things got a bit heated, a minor clash, but that’s just part of life in the dressing room. At the end of the match, he came back angry, he needed time to cool off. And once he’d calmed down, he was back to being the Victor we all know. There was never any question of him not playing against Algeria, never. What happens in the dressing room stays in the dressing room. I didn’t even need to intervene. We got back to the hotel, the two of them talked it out, and that was the end of it," the coach revealed.