I didn't intervene — Eric Chelle reveals what truly happened between Osimhen and Lookman at AFCON

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has shed more light on the controversial incident which involved Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman at the AFCON, as he confirmed that both players talked it out in the dressing room.

The CAF Player of the Year-winning duo broke into an on-pitch fracas in Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 Round of 16 triumph against Mozambique. Osimhen was the more animated of the duo, frustrated after consecutive ineffectual decision-making from his teammates. 

His furore spilt beyond the pitch, as he failed to celebrate with the rest of the squad after the match, heading early to the team bus. Lookman played down the incident in the post-match press conference, and the team seemed to move on without formally addressing the incident.

Osimhen made no public apologies, nor did he reference the incident for the remainder of the tournament, leading to both dissatisfaction and speculation on the resolution from sections of the Super Eagles fanbase.

On a recent appearance on the After Afrique podcast, Chelle shared some insights, revealing Osimhen’s exact comments from the bus stop and that the involved parties talked it out in the dressing room.

"They had a conversation on the pitch with Lookman. Victor told him, 'We need to stop being so careless in front of the goal.' Things got a little heated; there was a small argument, but that's a natural part of a locker room,” he said, per Yenicaggazetesi.

He admitted that Osimhen remained angry even after the game and needed to be pacified; however, he stated that his participation in the quarter-final against Algeria was never in contention, despite calls for such punishment.

“He was angry when the match ended; he needed time to calm down. Once he calmed down, he turned back into the Victor we know. There was absolutely no question of him not playing in the Algeria match.”

"What happens in the locker room stays in the locker room. I didn't even need to intervene. When we got back to the hotel, the two of them talked and the matter was closed."