‘Innit to Innit football’: Chukwueze accuses Super Eagles trio Alex Iwobi, Bassey and Lookman

Fulham wing wizard Samuel Chukwueze has never been one to mince his words, and his latest comments have set Nigerian football social media ablaze.

In a video that's gone viral across platforms, the AC Milan winger, currently on loan at Fulham, delivered a hilarious yet pointed critique of his Super Eagles teammates following Nigeria's commanding 4-0 demolition of Mozambique in the AFCON 2025 Round of 16.

The target of his playful roasting? Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, and Ademola Lookman, three of Nigeria's most influential players in Morocco.

Captured on the team bus after Monday's comprehensive victory at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, Chukwueze didn't hold back in his assessment of what he called "innit to innit football."

"You see wetin i dey talk about? Na innit, innit dey dey give am. You no watch am today? I lie? Bassy to Alex, Alex to Ade (Lookman). Na innit to innit, i lie? I no lie na, na true i talk. Na innit football," Chukwueze declared, mimicking the trio's passing patterns with theatrical exaggeration.

The AC Milan man was just getting started.

"Bassey go throw the ball. Alex go just run come back, him go give am. Alex go look like this, him change face, Ade go run. All the whole ball today, check all the whole ball today. 100% Ade."

Calvin Bassey, sitting nearby, couldn't help but respond with a grin: "Innit football dey work o", a cheeky acknowledgment that whatever they were doing, it was producing results.

What makes Chukwueze's commentary so entertaining is the delivery - equal parts comedian and frustrated teammate. 

The word "innit" has already become a meme in Nigerian football circles, with fans often using it to describe English-born players of Nigerian descent in the Super Eagles.

But beneath the laughter lies a legitimate tactical observation. Chukwueze is essentially calling out what he sees as predictable build-up play: Bassey pushing the ball to Iwobi in midfield, Iwobi recycling it back or switching it, and Lookman inevitably being the final destination.

The irony? Chukwueze watched all of this unfold from the bench. He didn't feature until the 86th minute in Nigeria's 4-0 masterclass, which perhaps adds an extra layer of frustration and motivation behind his banter.

To be fair to the "innit trio," their approach worked spectacularly against Mozambique.

Nigeria produced their most dominant display of the tournament, becoming the first team at AFCON 2025 to score four goals in a single match. The Super Eagles maintained their perfect record, four wins from four games and did so with a swagger that has made them one of the favorites to lift the trophy.

Ademola Lookman was the star of the show, directly involved in three of Nigeria's four goals. He opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a clinical finish from inside the box after a clever cutback from Akor Adams. Five minutes later, he turned provider, delivering the cross that Victor Osimhen converted to make it 2-0.

Immediately after halftime, Lookman assisted Osimhen again for Nigeria's third, effectively ending the contest before the hour mark. Akor Adams capped off his brilliant performance with a thunderous strike into the roof of the net in the 75th minute, rewarding himself after providing two earlier assists.

The statistics paint a picture of total dominance:

• Shots: Nigeria 22 (8 on target) vs Mozambique 2 (0 on target)

• Possession: Nigeria 62% vs Mozambique 38%

• Corner Kicks: Nigeria 5 vs Mozambique 0

• Goals: Nigeria 4 vs Mozambique 0

Lookman finished the match with 1 goal and 2 assists, taking his tournament tally to 3 goals and 4 assists, world-class numbers that suggest whatever "innit football" entails, it's devastatingly effective.

Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi were imperious at the back, ensuring goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali didn't have to make a single save all night. It was Nigeria's first clean sheet of the tournament, achieved through defensive organisation that starts with, you guessed it, Bassey's progressive passing from the back.

Nigeria has now scored 12 goals in the tournament, the highest of any team so far. They remain the only side with a perfect record, having won every single match they've played. Victor Osimhen has three goals to his name, forming a lethal partnership with Lookman that opposing defenses have found impossible to contain.

So while Chukwueze's critique might be rooted in genuine tactical observation or perhaps a touch of bench-induced frustration, the results speak for themselves.

Predictably, Nigerian football fans are split.

Some applaud Chukwueze's honesty and humour, viewing it as harmless banter that shows strong team chemistry. Others worry that publicly calling out teammates, even in jest, creates unnecessary division heading into Saturday's quarter-final clash with Algeria.

"Chukwueze is the vibe of the team, he's jokes keeps the team lively while Lookman is a shy guy ," one fan posted.

"This is how they will expose there tactics to Algeria," countered another.

Here's the thing: is Chukwueze wrong?

If you watch Nigeria's build-up play closely, there is a pattern. Bassey does push the ball forward frequently. Iwobi does drop deep to receive and recycle possession. And Lookman does end up as the primary attacking outlet more often than not.

But patterns aren't inherently bad, especially when they produce 4-0 victories and tournament-leading goal tallies.

Perhaps Chukwueze's real message isn't criticism at all. Maybe it's a playful reminder that there are other attacking options available, namely himself, who could add unpredictability to Nigeria's approach.

After all, nothing says "play me next match" quite like viral post-match analysis from the bench.

Nigeria face Algeria today at 5:00 PM Nigerian time in Marrakech, in a quarter-final rematch of their 2019 semi-final encounter. The Desert Foxes will arrive battle-hardened after grinding out a 1-0 extra-time victory over DR Congo.

The question now is whether Eric Chelle makes any changes to his winning formula or if the "innit to innit" football that Chukwueze finds so amusing continues to deliver results.

One thing's certain: if Nigeria advances, don't be surprised if the team bus videos get even more entertaining.

Because when you're winning 4-0 and sitting top of the tournament scoring charts, you've earned the right to a bit of banter, innit?