Nigeria's Africa Cup Quarterfinal Preparations Hampered by Unpaid Bonuses and Osimhen Dispute

Nigeria's preparations for the Africa Cup quarterfinal against Algeria are troubled by reports of unpaid bonuses and internal disputes involving Victor Osimhen. Coach Éric Chelle emphasised the need to focus on the match despite these challenges.

Nigeria's preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal against Algeria have been overshadowed by rumours of internal conflict involving star striker Victor Osimhen. Reports suggest that players have not received their bonuses. Coach Éric Chelle refrained from commenting on these issues, stating that such matters should be addressed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The NFF still lists a vacancy for the head coach position of the men's team, despite appointing Chelle a year ago. Nigerian media reported that players threatened to boycott training and travel to Marrakech unless they received bonuses for winning their first four Africa Cup matches. The team arrived in Marrakech on Thursday and trained the same day, with another session planned for Friday.

Internal Team Dynamics

Speculation arose about Osimhen's potential departure following an on-field disagreement with teammate Ademola Lookman during Nigeria's 4-0 victory over Mozambique. Chelle chose not to address these reports directly, focusing instead on the upcoming match against Algeria. "I prefer to speak about the upcoming game. Victor is there and that's all," he stated.

Osimhen scored twice in the Mozambique match, with Lookman involved in both goals. However, tensions reportedly flared when Lookman attempted to score instead of assisting Osimhen for another goal. Lookman downplayed the incident, describing it as "just football" and referring to Osimhen as his "brother."

Team Unity and Goals

Lookman later shared photos on social media celebrating with Osimhen, captioned "together always." Chelle emphasised teamwork, saying, "Yes, everyone's speaking about Osimhen and Lookman, it's normal, they're the last two best African players, but we're here to serve them to score, we're working for them. We're a team, and that's what teamwork is all about."

Nigeria aims to secure its fourth Africa Cup title after losing the final to Ivory Coast in the previous edition. Winning would help compensate for missing out on World Cup qualification. Algeria has defeated Nigeria twice in past tournaments, including in 1990 and during the 2019 semifinals.

Chelle remains focused on his role as coach, stating that his job is centred on the pitch rather than off-field issues. He reiterated his commitment to preparing the team for their match against Algeria in Marrakech.

With inputs from PTI