Don't punish Osimhen — Ex-Chelsea star calls for unity in Super Eagles camp

Salomon Kalou has urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Super Eagles coaching staff to maintain internal harmony following a heated on-field exchange between Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.

The incident occurred during Nigeria’s dominant 4–0 victory over Mozambique in the Round of 16. Despite Lookman assisting both of Osimhen’s goals earlier in the match, the Galatasaray striker reacted furiously in the 63rd minute to his teammate's decision to shoot instead of passing to him for a hat-trick.

Osimhen’s visible outburst and subsequent request to be substituted led to him being booed by sections of the crowd as he departed for the tunnel.

When asked if Osimhen should face disciplinary action for his behavior heading into the quarter-final, Kalou was firm in his defense of the striker.

“No, I don’t think punishment is necessary. I saw situations like that many times in my career. The media made it bigger than it was,” Kalou said via duelbits.com

“Nigeria need unity and focus, that’s their biggest challenge now. They’re playing well enough to win AFCON, but only if everyone stays together and keeps their eyes on the prize.”

The Super Eagles have been the tournament's standout team so far, maintaining a perfect record with four wins from four matches.

However, the stakes rise significantly this Saturday, January 10, as they travel to Marrakech to face Algeria in a mouthwatering quarter-final.

Eric Chelle's men certainly stand a bigger chance of going all the way with their two main stars on the same page.