Tijani Babangida says Super Eagles manager Eric Chelle allowed Ademola Lookman a free role at AFCON 2025, boosting Nigeria’s attacking play

Former Nigerian international, Tijani Babangida, has revealed that Super Eagles manager Eric Chelle gave Ademola Lookman a free role in the squad during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

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Speaking on Sunday Oliseh’s Global Football Insights podcast, Babangida said Chelle removed the traditional number 11 position, allowing Lookman to move freely across the pitch to create attacking opportunities.

“You can only put the number 7, but number 11 is free. Lookman can run there, a striker can run there, and you have more chances for good attacks, with more midfielders involved as well,” the former Ajax player explained.

Babangida praised Chelle’s system, noting it mirrored Nigeria’s traditional setup and contributed to the team’s surprising and fluid performances during the tournament.

“You could see Nigerians were very surprised and wondered why the Super Eagles were playing so well. It’s because of that system, and it worked well with the boys,” he said.

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The former winger expressed hope that the tactical freedom for Lookman would continue, maintaining the dynamic style that benefited the Super Eagles at AFCON 2025.