Chelle Speaks on Osimhen, Lookman Absence as Nigeria Prep for Portugal, Poland

Chelle begins rebuild  

Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle revealed why Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman won’t face Portugal and Poland. Osimhen later denied transfer speculation.

Eric Chelle will lead Nigeria vs Poland on June 3 and Portugal on June 10 without Osimhen and Lookman. The friendlies are key to his 2027 AFCON plans...

Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has explained why Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman won’t feature in Nigeria’s upcoming friendlies against Portugal and Poland. Both forwards are missing from the squad.

Nigeria already failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but the three-time African champions will still use the two games as part of Chelle’s rebuild. The matches are key to shaping his squad for future tournaments.

The Super Eagles play Poland in Warsaw on June 3, then travel to Leiria a week later to face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal. 

Osimhen and Lookman were standout performers last season for Galatasaray and Atlético Madrid, but Chelle said their absence comes down to factors outside the team’s control.

“Now we have two games, Poland and Portugal, and I have a lot of problems because some players don't have a visa like Samson Tijani and Al Hassan Yusuf and I cannot fight against the embassy,” said Chelle.

“We will also miss Victor Osimhen, who had to change his club, so we preferred that he stay in this house because if you play and you are not at 100 percent, this is not good. 

“Lookman is very tired and Atletico asked us to let him. We will travel with (a few) players and we will see what happens after Poland and Portugal.  

“We have to adapt to everything. We definitely go with our strengths and weaknesses. We will come back with something positive.“

Chelle’s comments on Osimhen were widely read as a hint the striker could leave Galatasaray, which sparked heavy speculation about where he might go next.

The remarks set off debate among fans and analysts, with several major European clubs quickly linked to the Nigeria forward.

But the ex-Napoli forward later posted on social media to shut down the transfer talk. He said Chelle’s words had been taken out of context and didn’t mean he was about to leave.

“I just got off the phone with coach Eric Chelle regarding the comments about me in his recent interview,” Osimhen wrote.

“Unfortunately, his words have been taken out of context and blown out of proportion. He has great respect for Galatasaray, follows most of our games, and never intended to create and controversy.

“I appreciate the conversation, the opportunity to always represent my country, and I look forward to continuing to work with him. He is a great coach whom I respect a lot, and I kindly ask everyone to disregard the speculation surrounding this matter. Thank you for your consistent support.”

Nigeria have been placed in the same 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group as Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau, and Tunisia. The tournament will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.